Slayers of Kuoh: Slayers of DxD Reboot
by TheJSmooth
Summary: Kuoh recently gained new citizens who wielded magic never heard of or seen before. Who are they? Where did they come from? Make no mistake, the worlds of Fairy Tail and DxD will be changed… for better and for worse. This is their adventure... for this is the story of the Slayers of DxD!
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi guys! Guess who's back?**

 **That's right everyone! I'm the officially the new author for Slayers of DxD.**

 **Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the previous author is unable to continue the story. And there was another before him who did the story as well. I will be sure to note it in the disclaimer that this isn't my original story to begin with but I got to get something off my chest.**

 **First I would like to thank both original authors of Slayers of DxD for the stories they put forth. That and I would like to send love and prayers to dude932. Also, I humbly ask that you guys do it too. He gave us good stories while being a member of the site and his works will be missed. He gave me his blessing and permission to adopt this story and mold it as I see fit. I will do my best to not let him or any of you guys down.**

 **Second… not that long ago the world lost an innovator. Stan Lee was a US Army Veteran from the days of World War II and one of the founding fathers of Marvel Comics. Honestly, you can't think of Marvel Comics without thinking of Stan Lee at the same time. His creativity and personality led to the creation of a lot of our favorite heroes. In my opinion, the characters he created helped inspire a lot of us on what kind of heroes we all want to be. We may not wear capes, have an indestructible shield or even cool spider powers but we still have our potential as all human beings do as well as our values. We can be heroes and contribute to society in the best ways possible and we don't need powers to do so. Excelsior and Long Live Stan 'The Man' Lee!**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **The Original Authors of Slayers of DxD were (and still are) Crossover Wizard Master and** **dude932. All credit for the original intent of the story goes to them.**

 **Hiro Mashima and any related parties own Fairy Tail and any related spin-offs, sequels or products of any kind with regards to the series**

 **Ichiei Ishibumi and Miyama-Zero along with any related parties own High School DxD and any related products of any kind with regards to the series.**

 **Any characters, places and ideas used in this story do not belong to me.**

 **Mentions of historical figures, religion and religious figures in general will be in this story for purely entertainment purposes.**

 **This story is rated M for the following:**

 **\- Nudity and Fan-service (or Both, but you can't see it only imagine it)**

 **\- Violence/ Graphic Violence and Gore**

 **\- Language**

 **\- Sexual Themes, Sexual Situations and Pornographic content (Lemons, Limes, Smut)**

 **\- Innuendos and Sexual Suggestions (Or failed attempts at some)**

 **\- Drugs and Alcohol; Substance Abuse**

 **\- Mentions of Rape and Sexual Abuse (Only mentions; No matter what I will not write a rape scene. I understand the need for shock value in stories but I don't do rape scenes or even anything that speaks Non-consensual)**

 **\- Gambling**

 **Welp! I have more to say but I'll save that for the Author's Note of my other story. Stay Tuned by the way! The next chapter of 'The Lost Warrior' will be coming soon. I thank everyone for being patient with me in the updates. I will not drop the story but progress and updates will be slowed.**

 **Happy Thanksgiving everyone!**

 **Now on with the Prologue!**

* * *

 **Tale of Two Worlds**

 ** _The Multiverse Theory…_**

 _According to many, it stems from theories on Parallel Earths and the Universe at large. The theory also draws conclusions from theories relevant to time and space as well._

 _The theory goes something like this…_

 _For every world you live in, for every universe you live in there is a replica, carbon copy or identical twin out there in a universe that houses such a world. Each of the worlds can be similar or they can be different. And out in the Multiverse, some universes are exact polar opposites of each other while others don't share any relation at all._

 _This theory paints a very complicated picture for some who study it or ever even consider thinking about it. But none would think this theory would impact a story of a unique nature that takes place in not one but two worlds._

 ** _Earth…_**

 _Birth place of the human race…_

 _From orbit this blue orb forms a beautiful view. On this blue orb is home to millions of people, animals and plant life alike. But Earth is also home to beings from the stars as well as beings from the Supernatural._

 _Long ago, Biblical God (Christianity, Catholic Faith, Judaism, Islam) had cast out his children, angels who rejected his teachings and principles essentially exiling them. These angels who literally and figuratively fell from heaven were known as "Fallen" or Fallen Angels and joined the Devils as occupants within the Underworld also known as Hell. At that moment in time and recorded history: The Angels and Heaven, The Devils and Hell along with The Fallen Angels were regarded as The Three Factions._

 _In the aftermath of God's decision, the neighboring deities simply watched from afar and observed events that had no consequence to them. But they knew for a fact that tensions were running high and it wouldn't be long before things got out of hand and blood would be shed. So the Norse Gods, the Olympian Deities (Greek and Roman Gods), the Egyptian Deities and every other deity known sought each other's counsel in secret from the Three Factions that were bound to go war at any given time. Many opinions were shared as to who would do what and what action would be taken should war take place. The consensus among most of the gods was that they would not take advantage of the weakened state of the Three Factions in the aftermath of War should it take place. They also agreed that no one on their side would aid any faction for satisfaction or gain. In all they would carry out their duties while anticipating the time bomb and friction of three different races aiming at each other's throats._

 ** _The Great War…_**

 _It is the name of a conflict that would scar the factions of Angels, Devils and Fallen Angels for years. Some battles were won, others were lost. Love… passion… hatred… bravery… rage… sadness… for all the emotions that accompanied it, the war left no true victor. All three sides shared two things in common: pure carnage that inflicted heavy losses and great sacrifice._

 _For the Angels, God had died._

 _For the Devils, the Four Great Satans fell._

 _And although no leader was lost on the side of the Fallen, their numbers were reduced even more so than when hostilities began._

 _In the end, exhaustion and fatigue plagued the very souls of all three sides drawing them into an unspoken armistice that would have done nothing in the future. Occasional battles still occurred for generation upon generation to the current time._

 _And what of the other Gods? What did they do? What could they do?_

 _The Norse Gods dealt with the occasional chaos that reigned in the other realms but never really lost the power they already possessed. Of course as time passed, Odin wanted to bridge a more peaceful future for all and approached two of the three factions that just went to war. It was and still is his hope that one day humanity would never bear witness to the useless slaughter that was the Great War. Sadly, humanity brought war upon themselves for century upon century which made Odin realize a cruel irony of how war was a universal thing._

 _The Egyptian Gods went about their usual business. Even in the modern age, they were respected and acknowledged for all they did for the different societies of the past. They remained close with the other factions but wanted nothing to do with the factions involved in the Great War._

 _Other gods sided with the Norse in support of wanting peace talks between the Angels, Devils and Fallen for the sake of the future along with humanity's protection in the long run. In a sense they wanted to honor the Biblical God's will in protecting all creation and wanting to cultivate life not seek death._

 _As for the Gods that sat upon Olympus and the Titans who disappeared at some point…_

 _The story of the Olympian Gods and Goddesses took a strange turn. Why you may ask?_

 _It had something to do with the fact the Biblical God created the ultimate weapons known as Sacred Gears, powerful tools of warfare that if in a certain tier could slay Gods in several or even in a single blow. Not only that, God decided that these mystic, god slaying weapons be put in the hands of his creation… Humanity._

 _Given humanity's limitless potential in both good and bad areas of the spectrum when it comes to anything, the Gods that sat on Olympus collaborated with the Egyptian Gods on creating sacred gears of their own. Once an agreement was reached, the denizens of Olympus proceeded to make highly powered weapons that not only rivaled but exceeded a majority of the Sacred Gears that God of the Bible created, including the ones deemed in the category "Longinus". Any weapons the Egyptians wanted forged for their own purposes; the Olympians complied with no hesitance. All of this was done in secret and to top it all off, the Gods of Olympus went above and beyond when forging their secret arsenal which would go on to be named "Pieces of Eden"._

 _The weapons forged by the Olympians were given this title for two reasons. First, they were given the name as a way to honor the Biblical God. And Second, they were given this name due to the Olympian and Egyptian deities interacting with a race from another universe known as the Isu. The Isu's origin of course is a tale for another time not to be told in place of this one._

 _Time passed and before long, humanity evolved to what it is now today. Knowledge of the Supernatural is limited of course but the fate of a select few will change the course of the story of all for years to come. But that story does not start here on Earth._

 ** _Earth Land…_**

 _This is the land where magic rules._

 _Earth Land is in many ways similar to Earth but different as well. Here, humanity evolved but with a much different history._

 _Each major section of time in history for Earth Land was regarded as an Era. For each Era there were turning points in the history of the world. In the beginning there was only the world, Earth Land's plant life and the moon. Time progressed and before long, Earth Land was inhabited by many creatures whom differed in shape, size and intelligence._

 _The two most notable inhabitants were Dragons and Demons._

 _Dragons were massive, reptilian creatures who wielded magical abilities that rivaled the strongest mages and showed a greater capacity for battle than some of the most well-known warriors. When humanity and other humanoid like races came into existence, there was a noticeable change in the behavior. Dragons of course weren't mindless beasts like the ones told in myth, rather they were a lot like a tribal type of society. For every tribe there was a clear head of the pack that demanded the respect of his or some cases her peers._

 _Nevertheless, political divide had fractured the Dragon Community due to the key issue on Dragon relations with humans. Some Dragons saw the humans as sustenance while others saw them as friends and fellow inhabitants of their small blue world. It posed a question that would leave repercussions for generations to come: Who is truly king? Man or Dragon?_

 _The Broken relations between the two races (and to extent everyone else) lead to what would become known as The Dragon King Festival._

 _The Dragon King Festival became an all-out war of annihilation, survival and the dawn of new horizons in the world of magic._

 _Like the Great War of Earth, The Dragon King Festival was costly on all sides. The Dragons that went to war against humans took minimal losses before the appearance of Dragon Slayers, humans who learned magic straight from their Dragon allies. Once the Dragon Slayers entered, they had turned the eventual tide of the war but there were consequences that made themselves obvious in towards the end of the war that led to their eventual damnation. The Dragons that were allied with humans and even the majority of the ones that declared their neutrality, didn't see the end of the war they desired like their fellow Dragons that had sought the humans annihilation._

 _The end of the result of The Dragon King Festival led to the perceived extinction of the majestic beasts who ruled Earth Land from both the skies and the ground. Any survivors of the race of Dragons went underground or were hunted down. Another result of The Dragon King Festival was the self-proclaimed crowing of a man… no the ultimate hybrid of Dragon and Human blood who went by the name of Acnologia. His arrival was the beginning of the end for Dragon and Dragon Slayers alike. Even those who were pure human faced his fearsome power if they dared stand in his way. His self-crowning led to rebuke due to the unintentional (really intentional) mockery of those who died, including the Dragons who the humans had come to respect immensely. Like the Great War on Earth, there were no true winners._

 _But in this long, bloody saga where were the Demons, the other notable race besides Dragons? It goes something like this…_

 _Demons of Earth Land shared many similarities to the Devils of Earth although there were clear differences between the two. Back on Earth, pureblood demons were regarded as powerful ancestors and warriors of the Devils themselves since the true Lucifer had fallen from heaven. Not only that, after the Great War, the demons had longed been considered extinct and any survivors that happened to be found were no longer intelligible creatures that the Devils once looked up to. But that wasn't the only thing that differed between the two. Devils had formed their own society in the Underworld while the Demons had a presence in both Earth Land and their own version of Hell. How so? It came down to the fact that Demons came in varying shapes, sizes and even moral allegiances. Which brings us to the next interesting topic of this story…_

 ** _Fairy Tail…_**

 _Do Fairies have tails? Do Fairies even exist?_

 _Those two questions posed by a young, gifted female wizard led to the founding and creation of a magic guild called Fairy Tail. Since its inception, Fairy Tail alongside many other light guilds have been a major part of the Kingdom of Fiore's shining shield against the forces of darkness. As a guild and a family, the proud members of Fairy Tail had experienced everything from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows._

 _Fairy Tail's strongest team had lived up to its name when they defeated the dark guild Eisenwald and Lullaby, a demon from the Book of Zeref._

 _When Galuna Island's friendly Demon denizens were cursed, Fairy Tail's strongest team once again rose to the occasion both intentionally and unintentionally in saving not just the citizens but the Island as well._

 _When the formerly known 2_ _nd_ _Best Guild in the nation challenged Fairy Tail in a guild war that lasted a day, it was all hands on deck for every member of the guild. Each person played their role in not only defeating Phantom Lord and its best members but saving one of their own from a fate she did her best to avoid._

 _The Guild Alliance against the Oracion Seis…_

 _The fight against Daphne and her artificial beast horde…_

 _The weird adventure to Edolas…_

 _Defending the sacred grounds of Tenrou Island from Grimmoire Heart…_

 _Saving the Kingdom from the threats of the Infinity Clock and the reborn Phoenix…_

 _Winning the Grand Magic Games…_

 _Saving the Kingdom from the Dragons of the Eclipse Gate…_

 _Ending the Celestial Rebellion…_

 _And now…_

 _The guild of many mages dreams… the very men, women and children who defended the innocent, fought side by side with fellow mages from allied guilds… were now in the last stretch of a desperate battle against the last true Dark Guild comprised entirely of demons from the Book of Zeref._

 _The Year is X791…_

 _The battle between Fairy Tail and company against the dark guild Tartaros is coming to its dramatic conclusion. And on the horizon, a new adventure will begin…_

* * *

 **A/N: And there is… the Prologue!**

 **Sorry guys but this isn't the Slayers of DxD that you came to know the first two times. This is a much different story this time around but with the same general theme: sending Natsu and Gray to DxD-verse. Only this time they won't be going alone. And that's where you guys come in. I have a poll on my profile where you guys can decide goes to DxD-verse with our Fire and Ice duo. Option 1 is where Happy accompanies them on their chaotic trip through the dimensional gap. Option 2… well it's self-explanatory. Anna and Irene are tagging along with the group in Option 2. How? I'll work magic on my end in making that work. For me personally, I'm open to choosing one or doing both. But given the circumstances that I'm still doing another story as well as this one, I'm asking my fellow authors and the good readers for help in making a decision.**

 **As for timetable on getting the first real chapter published… I'm aiming to have one or two done before Christmas. And by the time we ring in the New Year, I'll luckily have the third chapter ready for your enjoyment.**

 **Now before I go, let me clarify some things on what you just read.**

 **1) Given my limited knowledge on anything and everything DxD, I will do my best when it comes to delivering a story that's worth reading. Meaning I will be binge reading the manga, watching as many episodes of the anime as possible (if I don't cringe too much and die from my hate… *cough* …strong dislike of Issei), and utilizing the wiki page for DxD.**

 **2) I have extensive knowledge on most things Fairy Tail. I'm not a super fan but I love the series even though it isn't my number one. That and in order to make sure I get some facts right, I check the wiki for Fairy Tail too. Lol**

 **Seriously though, I'll get the Season Pass for the Final Season and binge watch it even though I already read Volumes 50 through 63 that cover what I know will happen.**

 **3) There will be guest appearances from other series like the one you no doubt read. In addition to that, elements from other franchises will be present just to mix things up a little. If you want to see Natsu and Gray use specific weapons, I will put up a poll but chances are I'll be rolling with the weapons I already determined for them. Same goes for the group they lead should you guys choose Option 2 in terms of the story you want.**

 **4) The Prologue as I said is an introduction for fans new and old to either series. Plus I'm aiming for more depth in the story in terms of what is going on behind the scenes with a lot of the major powers in play.**

 **5) Will Earth Land get their own gods? Let me rephrase that. Will Fairy Tail-verse get additional deities to the ones already known in the series? Yes they will. Four some of you are no doubt already acquainted. The ones you will see are not the OCs I have for my Fairy Tail story still in development. Earth Land's powerful set of Deities will more or less come from another franchise. Who are they? Speculate. One of you might get it right on the first try.**

 **6) Flashbacks will appear throughout the story to help paint a picture for relationship between characters. Flashbacks will also be used to help paint a clear picture of past events, being the backdrop to events that happen in the story.**

 **7) Any recommendations for cover images, please let me know via PM!**

 **Review section is now open to comments, compliments, criticisms and any snarky remarks about characters or the story.**

 **You guys have been wonderful! Thank you to all my fellow readers and authors. Continue to let your creativity take you places and never be afraid to inspire others.**

 **See Ya Later!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys!**

 **So I'm a man of my word. Given the results of the poll, you all will be graced with Version 2 of this story. Before we proceed, let me address a few things ranging from my thoughts on a few things to your comments/reviews of the Prologue.**

 **First… some of you are probably wondering who or what the Isu are? Well it goes a little something like this. The Isu, also known as 'The First Civilization', were a race of highly intelligent, highly powerful beings that some considered gods (might have been). From my experience playing Assassin's Creed, they've been around since essentially the dawn of man (at least from my interpretation). Those familiar with the Assassin's Creed franchise know who the Isu are due to the fact everyone has seen what they were capable of when it came to leaving a legacy behind. So yes, I had the Isu make a cameo appearance in the Prologue. They do not exist in either the DxD-verse or Fairy Tail universe within this story. Do they have some lingering influence? Yes but I will not elaborate further. The Prologue, combined with a future chapter will explain everything.**

 **Second… some of you take issue with God-killer weapons such as the Sacred Gears of DxD. There is a purpose for the Sacred Gears as well as the Olympians version of the 'Pieces of Eden' in this story that will also be explained in a future chapter.**

 **Third… this story will deviate from canon in both universes (or both worlds, take your pick). How little or how big will the changes be? I may go crazy or I may stay sane, you never know. But hey, I'll keep things interesting enough. Or at least try to.**

 **Fourth… we're fast approaching January so guys… be sure to catch up on all things Anime and Manga. The first volume of Edens Zero dropped (Get it!), The DB Super movie comes out Jan. 19** **th** **and… Kingdom Hearts 3 drops. Hope your wallets are ready.**

 **Lastly, for those curious why there is an M rating for the story, check the Prologue.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **The Original Authors of Slayers of DxD were (and still are) Crossover Wizard Master and** **dude932. All credit for the original intent of the story goes to them.**

 **Hiro Mashima and any related parties own Fairy Tail and any related spin-offs, sequels or products of any kind with regards to the series**

 **Ichiei Ishibumi and Miyama-Zero along with any related parties own High School DxD and any related products of any kind with regards to the series.**

 **Any characters, places and ideas used in this story do not belong to me.**

 **Music, Songs and Soundtracks featured in this story do not belong to me and are used for the readers benefit (mostly my own just because lol).**

 **Use and/or mentions of historical figures, pop culture icons, religion and religious figures in general will be in this story for purely entertainment purposes.**

* * *

 _The Year is X791…_

 _Fairy Tail is at war with the Dark Guild Tartaros._

 _The Number One Guild in Fiore had persevered over the past few days, facing countless adversity. Even when all hope seemed lost, Fairy Tail found a way to fight back and now are on the verge of victory. But how did it get to this point?_

 _It started those few days ago when an attack was launched on the Magic Council Headquarters in Era. In the ensuing sneak attack, all present members of the Magic Council were assassinated by a lone demon from the Dark Guild Tartaros. What followed afterwards was no mere declaration of war but the beginning of a sinister endgame._

 _Now understand, Tartaros was no ordinary dark guild. What made Tartaros unique were two things: being a pillar of the Balam Alliance and being a guild made up entirely of Etherious Demons. Who or what exactly is the Balam Alliance? And what is an Etherious demon?_

 _The Balam Alliance is… well, was a union of the three strongest Dark Guilds in the entire Kingdom of Fiore. Each member of the Balam Alliance was regarded as a pillar. The First Pillar was the Oracion Seis, a guild made up of six powerful dark mages. The Seis, as they were often called, were defeated back in X784 by a guild alliance led by Fairy Tail and supported by Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus and the now non-existent Cait Shelter guild. The Second Pillar was Grimmoire Heart, an even more powerful guild who was shockingly led by the former second master of Fairy Tail, Precht Gaebolg who assumed the alias Hades. Grimmoire Heart had orchestrated an all out assault on Fairy Tail's sacred ground of Tenrou Island back in December of X784. Their mission was going smoothly once the assault commenced, even successfully defeating some of Fairy Tail's strongest mages, who had assembled for the S-Class trials. But in the end, Fairy Tail bounced back and one by one each major player from Grimmoire Heart fell including Hades himself. In the ensuing aftermath of their defeat, several prominent members died while others disappeared into anonymity. The Third and final Pillar was Tartaros, a guild made entirely of etherious demons. Not much is known about Tartaros other than the fact they do not tolerate failure. So again… what exactly is an Etherious demon?_

 _Etherious Demons were demons that were artificially created and in addition to that, contracted to mages who possessed immense magical strength. Etherious Demons once upon a time, were real demons from the very depths of Hell itself before they found a way to leave Hell and roam Earth Land. The demons then adapted to the magic particles known as Ethernano present within in all of Earth Land. After processing and absorbing Ethernano particles into their body, they gain an increase in power and wield abilities separate from standard magic called Curses. Now, how did the escaped demons become Etherious? For starters, some of the demons that were too weak were killed by the S-Class and ace mages of various light guilds. The other demons that were strong had razed entire villages and left countless bodies in their wake, showing humans and other races no mercy. All that ended when they encountered one of the most fearsome legends in all of magic… The Black Wizard Zeref._

 _As the story goes, Zeref was once an amateur mage who made a grave error dabbling in Ankserham Black Magic. Zeref's experiments into Ankserham Black Magic was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing due to the fact that Zeref gained an immeasurable amount of magic power along with near immortality. But it was curse due to the fact that the God of Darkness himself said the cost of Zeref's great gain in power would mean that everything Zeref touched would die._

 _It is unknown exactly when Zeref put the demons under his command but he did defeat them all. Some of the demons were killed and resurrected while others were weakened to a state of near death, forced to do his bidding. So he wiped their memories and enlisted them each as his Etherious from magic tomes known as Books of Zeref. Each tome made up a large one that went by the same name, hence why many say certain Etherious came from THE Book of Zeref._

 _Explanations aside, Tartaros had one goal and one mission to accomplish. They wanted to reunite with their master Zeref while also finding a way to resurrect their true king, Zeref's ultimate Etherious E.N.D., the ultimate fire demon. To do this they orchestrated the ultimate and most sinister of plans… ridding the Kingdom of Fiore of magic. It started with one of their members, Jackal, singlehandedly wiping out the Magic Council and some of the top officers within the Rune Knights. What followed was nothing short of a series of attempted assassinations as well as a hunt for information._

 _One by One, the dastardly demons of Tartaros hunted down all former members of the Council, interrogating them for the information and location of the Magic Council's next deadliest weapon besides Etherion… Face._

 _Face is the name given to the Council's next ultimate weapon and that very weapon was a closely guarded secret until Fairy Tail and Tartaros both uncovered its existence. The weapon itself was capable of wiping out magic within a select radius, primarily in cities or even major regions of the country. Deemed too dangerous to be used, Face was sealed away using Organic Link Magic and this processed involved three members of the Council, with only the Chairman knowing their identities. Of course that plan went to the wayside when former Council members Belno and Yuri were assassinated. To make matters worse, former Chairman Crawford Seam defected to Tartaros while under Fairy Tail's protective custody and even went as far as kidnapping Fairy Tail's S-Class mages Erza Scarlet and Mirajane Strauss to sweeten his deal in aiding the demons with their goals. Unfortunately for him, Mard Geer, Tartaros' leader, deemed him no longer useful while living and had him killed while tasking another demon named Keyes to access Seam's body for the knowledge of Face's true location._

 _While this was going on, there was a break in the fighting and Fairy Tail planned their next move as to how they would counter Tartaros and save their friends. They nearly died though when one of their own was brainwashed into planting a bomb beneath the guild, leaving Tartaros in a moment of triumph. But Fairy Tail like always fought back, storming Tartaros' floating fortress and battling many of the demons while learning of a way to disarm Face._

 _Over the course of the next few, chaotic hours each side was looking for the upper hand…_

 _One of Fairy Tail's own managed to disarm Face only to find out there were more Face weapons out there capable of wiping out magic in the entire continent maybe even the world._

 _Fairy Tail ended up destroying Tartaros' base with aid from the Celestial Spirit King, drawing the battle into its last stages._

 _And in the final stages of this fight, when Fairy Tail had reached its most desperate hour… several dragons arrived out of nowhere, including the ever so fearsome Acnologia, The Black Dragon of the Apocalypse and Dragon King._

 _With Dragons airborne and the demons of Tartaros making a last stand… what would fate have in store for our heroes? Well… see for yourself._

* * *

 _ **A Guardian from the Heavens**_

 _How long has it been?_

So much time has passed since she and the others came to this new world. They had once fulfilled a divine purpose and helped dispel the darkness from the world. But the cost had been so high and even if the world had been saved… so many humans gave their life so that the surviving few could live to rebuild and see the new dawn.

 _So what was this scene before her?_

She and her friends had come to this world hundreds of years ago. They witnessed the cruelty of both man and dragon in the Dragon King Festival and did nothing. What all could they do? Was it their place to interfere? All the needless loss of life could have been avoided somehow but it wasn't. The sins of The Dragon King Festival still linger even to this day. And some of those sins are present, each having the power the plunge the world into darkness just like the old world she and the others once watched over. But she was more than determined to see that this wouldn't happen again… not to this version of humanity who had just as much if not a slightly greater chance at surviving the darkness that was causing chaos.

 _The plan she discussed with her allies was a gamble…_

She thought about her past and her interactions with her closest friend long before she died. She cried tears that day… it made things worse when her friend left behind a fiancé that had to carry on without her. In the end, she ended up watching him die too as he gave his life so the world could live.

 _It all comes down to this…_

Since this guild was established, she watched the group of mages become a family that's lasted generations. She had watched them grow into powerful protectors, warriors who knew honor yet never took a life, and above all… the best example as to what mages should be. They had their highest of highs… and their lowest of lows. The memories they made and the bonds that they shared lasted a lifetime… and they would be damned if it ended right here.

Only she knew the truth about the hidden past of three of their members. Dragon Slayers they were called… and apparently those three belonged to the first generation. The ones who once made that claim have long since been dead for centuries. She would not let these young ones meet a shared fate and she had just the right plan.

 _Now was the time to act…_

* * *

 _ **The First true Fairy**_

Anxiety. If it were one word to describe how she felt, it would be anxiety.

Things were going relatively smooth for the guild she founded after the strongest members had come back from their 7-year stasis on Tenrou Island. She did her best to ensure that they did not meet their demise at the hands of the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse. She was not him when it came to magic power but she could hold her own just fine.

After the Dragons of the Eclipse incident that nearly ended in both disaster and tragedy, the young lady had hoped her guild was granted a reprieve from any type of chaos they found themselves in. For a short span of a couple of weeks, that wish had gone unanswered in the form of the guild exchange program, the near Ichiya apocalypse and the Celestial Rebellion, but luckily those situations were resolved.

However, when the Tartaros Crisis arrived at Fairy Tail's front door there was little she could do to support her family. She knew the 3rd and 6th Master could handle the threat of a guild made up of demons… she just wondered what the cost would be. Her heart ached and twisted in sharp agony at the lives that were lost so far and the implications of what the demons were trying to accomplish. The young lady prayed to the heavens that her guild would receive assistance and preserve this magical land. Her involvement in a guild war with demons who were by default his pets could spell disaster and even go as far as spill secrets she wanted to stay buried.

But the worst never came. She watched as five dragons came from seemingly out of nowhere and aid humanity in their most desperate hour. The Face weapons were destroyed one by one and one of the dragons was facing off against Acnologia. With so many members of her family wounded but alive, she nearly sighed in relief. The battle was nearly won… but something felt off.

By now, four of the Dragons were finishing up Face and the last was still in a tight struggle with the Black Dragon King. A rescued member of Sabertooth aided one of the guild's finest, Erza Scarlet, in a duel against a demon who could have triggered Face had the Dragons not shown up. Now both female mages were recovering and aiming to rendezvous with the others. The two mages known as the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth had dealt a crushing blow to the man who was their former master and defeated him before they fell unconscious from exhaustion. And then there was only one left… and he had his hands full against Fairy Tail's duo and rivals in Fire and Ice. For all their bickering… for all the blood, sweat and tears they spilled individually and as a team they were the deciding factor. They were going to save the day or die trying. Ultimately she had faith that both mages would pull through and defeat the one who laid claim to the lord of the Underworld… so why was it she felt like things weren't quite right?

Clouds started to form from the North indicating an impending storm on a day where the forecast didn't even call for it. Even in the darkness of night, she could still see the signs of thunder and lightning. There notable shifts in magical presences that made her senses go a little haywire. Something bad was going to happen and she was praying her heart out that no more ill fortunes would fall onto the shoulders of her family.

"Sixth master?"

In her projection form, she hovered over the debris of what remained of the guild hall. Slowing her approach, she came upon a dwarf of a man. In appearance, this man had white hair coating the outer rims of his head while the top remained a shiny dome. For facial hair this man had a righteous as hell, thick mustache that looked like one of those "Got Milk?" commercials or posters. Or if he were in another world, some creepy comedian would say his mustache was more befitting of an adult film star. For attire he wore a white coat with white fur on the edges, a symbol of the Ten Wizard Saints on the back of his coat, a white undershirt, black pants and black boots. This elderly man was the 3rd and 6th Master of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyar. To this young lady, old man Makarov was a dear friend and a little miracle. She thinks of him as a miracle due to the tragic circumstances surrounding his birth all those years ago.

Strong black eyes met her concerned gaze as he turned his body slightly to give her a proper response.

"Yes First Master? Is there something bothering you?" Makarov asked.

Floating into Makarov's full view was a young girl with eyes like dull emeralds. She had long pastel yellow-blonde hair that went almost to her ankles. The cutest thing about her hair is the small ahoge at the top. Her stature is similar to that of a child or pre-teen and she has peachy skin. As for attire, she wore a frilly, pink layered robe with a ribbon that was either magenta or light red (it's likely a dark shade of pink) tied into a bow around her neck. On the chest area of her robe were three blue diamond patterns complimented by two blue triangles above them, each series of the following were outlined in hot pink. Ending the ensemble were the wing adornments around her ears a pair of small hoop earrings. Although she is perceived to be a child, she is much older and wiser than meets the eye. Her name is Mavis Vermillion, Fairy Tail's First Master and one of its founding members.

Mavis brought her hand to her heart and clutched it tight. Her usually strong emerald-like eyes showed inner turmoil her gaze was set north… where her guild was nearing victory against the accursed demons of Tartaros.

"There's a storm coming…" she began.

Makarov hummed in agreement as he too sensed and saw the approaching storm. Like the First Master, he too thought this storm had a strange magical presence that felt… wrong. Even worse, there was a good volume of power that backed it up that topped even Acnologia and maybe further beyond.

"With the aid of our friends from Sabertooth and the timely arrival of these dragons, our victory is assured. We've defeated the demons of Tartaros and the dragons have done a great service in destroying the Face weapons, saving both magic and lives in the process." She further elaborated.

Makarov couldn't help but agree with the brief analysis and points she brought up. They had already done so much and yet suffered too. He hated to see his children suffer any trauma but he believed their spirit was unbreakable. This sentiment was shared by the First Master but even he could tell something was off about the atmosphere.

"But…" He started for her.

The 3rd and 6th Master observed her lowering her head and her frown worsening.

"But that storm is an omen of ill fortune. I can't quite put my finger on it but we may not come out of this battle completely unscathed. After all, former members of the Magic Council were assassinated and although no lives were lost on our end, many from both the guild and the town were wounded in the battle." Mavis explained in a solemn tone.

And she was right.

Just to be clear, there was always a bit of bad blood between Fairy Tail and the lead magic authority known as the Magic Council. Yes, Fairy Tail was destructive whenever they performed jobs and it is a miracle they were able to make any money to keep the guild up and running. Even more so, clients were quick to remind them about a dock in pay for any damages they caused. Despite Fairy Tail's great reputation and even reclaiming the crown as the top guild in the land they were scrutinized for their destructive behavior, even though the destruction they caused wasn't intentional. There was also the verbal abuse prominent members of the guild faced before and after jobs were completed, mainly clients talking ill of Fairy Tail and certain members. In fact, clients requested that select members not take the jobs they were asking to have done. Three members in particular were singled out… and they weren't happy about it one bit. That was a tough pill to swallow.

Regardless, Makarov never truly hated members of the Magic Council, they were just doing their job and keeping things at a balance legally in the magic world… he just wished they weren't so stiff on certain issues.

"What are you trying to say First Master?"

Then she gave a look… a look that he hasn't seen since the Eclipse Gate incident back in July. It was a look that screamed fear mixed with a bit of desperation and weariness. Mavis, despite her situation looked a bit drained emotionally from this whole ordeal and that's including the unknowns coming into play.

"Given Acnologia is still present, the bringer of this storm may be aiming to bring even more chaos and possibly death. And I… we may not have the power to stop whoever they are." She said grimly.

The old man couldn't help but drop his head and sigh. This was a worst case scenario he didn't see coming.

"I see." He muttered.

They just stood there (mainly Makarov) in silence contemplating their next move and what to do in the immediate aftermath.

"What should we do? The children already know of the Lumen Histoire and we both know they will be asking questions once this mess is finally over. And once that happens your secret-"

"Secrets aren't supposed to be kept amongst family Makarov." Mavis interrupted with a sad smile.

And she was right… mostly. Not many Fairy Tail members past or present had secrets that were secret anymore. Those who had revealed their true selves were embraced wholly and without hesitation. Fairy Tail was, is and always will be a family. At the end of the day your past doesn't matter as long as you can make something of the here and now. Then you take what you do now and make some sort of future for yourself and others.

"I'm ashamed that we've had to keep them in the dark for so long but it was either that or risking war with an empire if the word got out."

She took the time to look to the stormy horizon and feel the magical signatures in the battlefield.

"That empire possesses wizards who powers dwarf even Wizard Saints and the combined power of their military is nothing to scoff at either. We wouldn't stand a chance." She stated bitterly.

The Empire she spoke of was on the continent to the west… Alikatasia. According to what she heard, the empire was founded around X780 or X781 and around 700+ guilds were subjugated to the rule of their emperor. From those guilds, the emperor found 12 powerful mages who could serve as some sort of honor guard. Needless to say… if they ever invaded in force the results would be disastrous

"Then maybe it's time to let Fairy Tail end." Makarov said in a near whisper.

Mavis' eyes widened in shock and rounded on the defeated form of Makarov. Her expression immediately changed to that of sympathy as she knew what he meant and got an idea of what the old man was going through. Her secret had the potential to upset the balance of the magical world as well as risk a war with an empire that could easily topple the kingdom in days. It was a near hopeless situation they were in even with this battle's outcome going in their favor… and despite that she steeled herself and put on a look of determination.

"Even though I agree with you to an extent and know what you're thinking, we must find another way."

Mavis clasped her hands over her heart as if she were praying. Her eyes shone once more as hope filled her very core.

"For our family to survive we must find another way. We have to!" Mavis further implored with conviction.

Unbeknownst to both Masters of Fairy Tail, the gods on high were in their favor… just not in the way they planned.

* * *

 _ **Traveler of the Eclipse**_

No one in their right mind runs towards a battlefield… this however is not the case.

See the thing is the town of Magnolia has been home to Fairy Tail since it's founding in X686. Hosting Fairy Tail has exposed the town to many things… festivals, guild battles, the royal family (in secret), and of course interesting characters of many backgrounds. In fact, there was a certain person in general who had the most interesting of stories and a familial connection to a member of Fairy Tail.

Currently said person was running towards the zone where Tartaros' headquarters had crashed and if anyone noticed her, there was a certain sense of urgency in her pace. There was a reason for this.

It all started 400 years ago…

There was an idea between her, a powerful wizard and believe it or not a Dragon. The idea was to put together a team of orphans, teach them the art of Dragon Slayer Magic and then send them to the future to face off against the Black Dragon Acnologia and eventually slay him.

The Dragon, the Fire Dragon King Igneel, would bring together the best Dragons suited to instruct each orphan in their respective magic element. Then once the instruction was done, each dragon were to seal themselves within their respective students in order to prevent them from falling victim to a fate that other Dragon Slayers had fallen to during the Dragon King Festival. That fate was turning into dragons thanks to the Dragon Seed planted in their bodies due to learning the magic of dragons. So the Dragons went into hibernation within the very souls of their Slayer students who they had adopted as their own in order to halt the progression of the Dragon Seed from turning their Slayers into what they were. Coincidentally, the sealing of the dragons within the Slayers made the Slayers believe their Dragons had abandoned them when in reality they weren't dead or missing. There was also a benefit to the Dragons given that their souls could heal after each of them had their run-ins with Acnologia.

The Wizard, the legendary Black Wizard Zeref surprinsgly, was responsible for the creation and use of the Eclipse Gate. The Eclipse Gate was a powerful magic device that allowed someone at a certain period in time to time travel to a certain era within Earth Land's history. Zeref was able to construct it using his vast knowledge and resources after both the young woman and Igneel came to him with their idea. What reason would the near immortal mage need to aid them in their endeavor? Did he need one? Although he wanted to help and was all in favor of the common goal of defeating Acnologia, somewhere down the line he developed his own ulterior motives and deviated from the plan.

So what about this young woman, who ended up playing the key role within the entire plan?

Turns out, this young woman was a Celestial Mage who at one point had access to all but one of the Zodiac Keys. The one key in question was passed down her family line for the next few centuries until the time came for the Eclipse Gate to be unlocked on the other side. Her role was pivotal as it was to get the newly minted Dragon Slayers to the future and watch from afar as the plan took place, hoping the young Slayers would one day gain the strength needed to slay the Dragon of the Apocalypse.

The woman and the young Slayers arrived on July 7, X777. Three of the Slayers ended up frozen in stasis on Tenrou on December 16, X784 and would remain that way until Spring, Early Summer of X791. The other two slayers that had come through the Eclipse Gate ended up growing up for seven years without their brothers and sister, getting stronger in the meantime. While all this was going on, the Dragon Slayer God-Mother went incognito until the time came to aid her Slayer godchildren. That time came now due to some disturbing news…

( _"If what_ _they_ _told me is true…"_ )

She was running… no sprinting like her life depended on it.

( _"Then the 400 year plan was worthless from the start."_ ) She thought with a slight grimace.

Not long ago when Tartaros awakened and wreaked havoc on the Kingdom of Fiore, the woman was alerted by a divine messenger to what was essentially a betrayal to the original plan. She was foolish for believing that Zeref was trustworthy enough to stick to the plan in the first place. Was it the madness and despair that came with his power that pushed him to this point? Was he really so callous as to contract demons to his will knowing they would destroy the lives of so many? She should have seen it coming sooner. And to rub salt in the proverbial wound, she found out one of Zeref's greatest sins… he had a hand in giving Acnologia the power to slay dragons in the first place. The Black Wizard, a once trusted friend and ally, gave birth to one of humanity's greatest enemies other than himself. At first she couldn't believe it until the messenger gave her the proof… and that was all she really needed to hear, the evidence of his crimes against humanity.

( _"I hope I can make it in time!"_ )

So now she ran as fast as her legs could take her. Her magic power had diminished over time but she still remained physically strong through a somewhat active lifestyle and studying new magics for self-defense. She hoped that she could rally the Slayers she could very well consider her own and warn them before it was too late.

The clock was running…

* * *

 _ **Sage and Queen**_

Life is often full of many things…

Friends come and go…

Love gained… even love lost…

A part of her early life had once seemed promising when she thought about it. She was married, one day would raise a child and… seek an end to the Dragon King Festival.

Who is she? How has she been able to walk Earth Land for so long?

Well her story started roughly 400 years ago…

She was the Queen of the once prominent Kingdom of Dragnof, a kingdom where humans and Dragons lived in perpetual harmony. She had married a man from another kingdom over territorial disputes. Did she love him at some point? At one point maybe… but things change and so do people.

Anyways, the Kingdom of Dragnof was the shining example in all of Ishgar that humans and dragons could co-exist. Even better, dragons were a great source of knowledge with regards to magic. Although the former queen did value her friendships, including the one with her best friend the Sage Dragon, she was an avid scholar in the magic arts. Magic had so many possibilities to make life easier and better for the world as a whole. The former queen even once believed humanity could be great beneficiaries of learning magic and its uses. Especially since the Dragon King Festival came to the kingdom's front door.

In the first few weeks and months to follow, victories were far and few in the war against dragons who only saw humans as livestock. To counter this, the queen of Dragnof came up with an idea in collaboration with the Sage Dragon Beslserion… the idea to create a special magic suited for slaying dragons. This was how Dragon Slayer Magic came to be.

To her credit, she was not only the co-creator of this magic but the first to use it. She committed herself to the frontlines not long after and the results were immediate. The fight had started to turn in her and her allies' favor. Sadly, casualties still occurred… especially once he arrived.

Acnologia…

His name alone made her gag in pure disgust. That name also made her blood boil to no end. She hated him for what he was and what he had done. That man… no abomination was an insult to Dragons and Dragon Slayers alike. But who was she to judge? After all it wasn't too long until she became just like him… her and the other Dragon Slayers.

It went something like this…

When Acnologia entered the war, he slaughtered Dragons, Dragon Slayers and even humans who dared to stand in his way. From what she heard, Acnologia was once human and became what he was for the sole purpose of slaying Dragons and anything related to them. Acnologia lost his entire village to the type of Dragons that, the queen at the time, were fighting against. It struck a sympathetic chord in her to a degree once she learned of his story. But any sympathy she had evaporated when the bastard struck down her best friend Beslserion in battle. Even worse, she never got to properly mourn Beslserion because things went south with her and the Dragon Slayers.

Apparently being taught the magic of dragons had a nasty side effect… turning the students of dragons into dragons themselves. It was where she entered a new low point in her life. Then, crazily enough her life got even worse. Due to her condition she was seen as a threat by her very own husband who cruelly enough thought only of survival and power. Life pitched in another insult when while in captivity, she learned that the sole victor of the Dragon King Festival was Acnologia due to the massive amount of casualties he inflicted on both sides. The conflict left both sides to recover from their losses while it meant that the dragons abroad went into hiding from the now infamous Black Dragon King. At that point the former queen of Dragnof wanted to die and be put out of her misery… if not for the fact she was pregnant.

One fateful night her and her so called husband had conceived a child before a big battle came the next morning. And like all the obstacles before, she only faced more adversity which brought her to her breaking point. Apparently her husband had doubted her pregnancy at first… so much so he stabbed her to prove his point. She on the other hand found it was out of paranoia because of the crazed look he had. And at that moment she unleashed all her power, saving her unborn baby and killing him in a breakout.

For the next 400 years due to her condition, she used her magic to keep the baby from being born and fell into a deep state of depression and insanity. That is… until he came along.

The Emperor.

But he went by another name.

( _"So this is where the battle has taken place? Interesting…"_ )

After all her trial and tribulations she had gone through, she was found and healed by a legend. But it was not without a cost.

Currently, the woman was in a clearing near Magnolia, close to where the dark guild Tartaros was making a desperate last stand. In addition to that, she was monitoring her savior as he too was watching the last battles.

( _"Hiding my presence isn't easy by any means. Luckily, they're both distracted at the moment."_ )

The former queen of Dragnof was no fool. She knew who the Emperor really was and what his legend entailed. She was not going to be a slave to anyone. Yes, she owed the man but she never trusted him and never feared what he was truly capable of. Even when she had agreed to give her services as a mage to him, she was already plotting a way out. And that meant she had to gather information because information as always was power.

Her mission was clear: investigate who her Emperor was personally as well as all the possible ties he had to important individuals over the past 400+ years. The first person of interest of course was his last surviving family member, his little brother. He was someone she would watch with interest given his power and the fact he learned the very magic she helped create. The second person of interest was a woman she was ordered to escort around Ishgar due to her arrival by unusual means, something she wasn't meant to hear. The third person of interest was apparently the Emperor's lover and soulmate… her story proved most insightful from what she was able to learn. But all in all it wasn't much. She had limited information on the Emperor and improvised her plan to simply observe as much as possible… meaning she had to spy on her own Emperor.

( _"Even_ _she_ _is here… and after all these years I'm so close to her."_ )

The person the woman was referring to was a phenomenal female wizard from Fairy Tail. She shared similarities to this girl who should have been a teenager by now.

The woman had observed the teen fight with her all against the second strongest member of Tartaros. Her magic was different from the older woman's but it was still a good magic that had its uses.

( _"She fought with amazing ferocity even when faced with overwhelming power. I expected nothing less from my little miracle."_ )

Her miracle…

That teen from Fairy Tail was her daughter. She ended up giving birth to her in X765 but due to her state at the time couldn't raise her properly. So her little girl's life started in a village called Rosemary without letting the girl know of her existence. It was for the best… but one day she would change that.

( _"Maybe one day we will meet and you can end my suffering for all the sins I've committed. But until then…"_ )

The wind picked up and the woman's senses made her perk up. Brown eyes looked to right, where the direction would be north. There were signs of a storm heading her way.

"I will continue to observe until I deem it necessary for me to intervene. After all the battle has nearly ended." She mused aloud.

The woman smiled as she clutched her staff which was taller than she was. For some reason there was an air of excitement at the possibility of meeting some new unknowns to the battlefield. She may have no longer been a citizen of a nation in Ishgar but did she ever miss the craziness that seemed to appear out of nowhere in her old homeland. Whatever was going to happen next was likely going to bring her closer to the answers she sought. For some reason she couldn't explain, it felt like that in her very bones.

"And I smell a storm coming."

* * *

 _ **Heavenly Maiden of the Sky**_

It is often said big things come in small packages. Now does the logic apply to pre-teen mages? One would certainly hope so, she was living proof.

Her name is Wendy Marvell and she is a proud mage of Fairy Tail. Not only that, she was the Sky Dragon Slayer, one of the four Dragon Slayers from her guild. And currently… she was resting up on the sidelines after a very busy day.

Wendy's story originally began when under unique circumstances she was introduced to a guild called Cait Shelter at the age of 6 by way of a friend. Said friend ended up having to leave her due to reasons unknown to her at the time. She was saddened of course but the people in Cait Shelter made her feel welcome… her first real family. That family only got bigger when she found and hatched an egg containing a white female cat. Turns out that white cat was actually an Exceed and that Exceed was named Carla, much to her joy. From that point on in X778, the two were practically inseparable.

In X784, the aftermath of the guild alliance against the Oracion Seis led to the revelation that Cait Shelter never truly existed and only stuck around in spirit as part of their duty to ensure the destruction of a weapon called Nirvana. She and Carla were heartbroken at the loss of their first family and the devastating reality that they were never real. Despite the sadness and loss, members of Fairy Tail's strongest team offered them both a new home at their guild. Neither Wendy nor Carla ever regretted joining when they accepted the offer. Truly they had found themselves a good home.

So… what was Wendy's role in the fight against Tartaros?

She faced off against the tentacle-leg demon Ezel while trying to disarm Face. That battle was arduous and it took everything she had, activating and using Dragon Force for the first time to win against him. It was a milestone victory in terms of her growth as a mage but her efforts were for naught when she found out that there was more than one Face weapon. But instead of feeling sorry for herself, she steeled her resolve and pushed forward.

So after some time, night had fallen and she stood on a cliff in the tattered remains of her outfit, missing both sleeves of her crimson blazer, shoes completely gone and stockings torn to shreds exposing her bare feet and parts of her thighs. Her dark blue hair was also sporting a bob cut, which was her doing due to the fact she vowed to be stronger and not stew in the disappointment of her mission. Beside her was her faithful companion Carla, who was by her side and aided her in taking down the demon before destroying Face.

"Mest, can I ask you something?"

She posed this question to the third member of their group… Mest Gryder.

Mest Gryder was an intelligence officer while working for the Magic Council and the Rune Knights. He was responsible for his spy operation into Fairy Tail's activities back in X784 around the time Fairy Tail went on their S-Class Trial excursion. Needless to say, those who found out about it were pissed… but not Wendy. Bless her heart, Wendy may not have liked the fact that Mest, who also went by Doranbolt, was a spy and had lied to her but never held it against him. It was very reassuring to know that he at least cared to an extent when things went south once Grimmoire Heart invaded Tenrou.

The Council intelligence officer was distraught and devastated when he believed that Wendy had died when Acnologia supposedly destroyed Tenrou Island along with the strongest, more notable members of Fairy Tail. That all changed when they came back though and when Mest had seen Wendy participate in the Grand Magic Games he couldn't help the tears of relief and joy at seeing her alive. But to his shame and dishonor, he couldn't bring himself to face her or Fairy Tail after he virtually left them to their fate back in December of X784. That changed recently due to Tartaros' actions against both the Council and the Kingdom. Needless to say, with the loss of his friends and superiors Mest had nothing to lose. So with that, he put his faith in Fairy Tail and the other light guilds.

He rescued Wendy and Carla as they were detonating one of the Face weapons. Mest owed it to himself to insure that she wouldn't die, not unless he could help it. He cared about her a great deal despite everything. There was no longer the drive to be the best Rune Knight in order to impress the Council. He no longer held ill grievances against a guild that had done so much for the Kingdom of Fiore and its people. He only cared about keeping Wendy safe and saving lives.

Standing a few feet behind Wendy, he was sporting a dark navy, double button up coat with grey pants, white gloves and black boots. He uncrossed his arms and slowly approached her side.

"Of course. What is it?"

The Sky Maiden slowly tilted her head forward and closed her eyes to think. To think how this day started she didn't expect it to end up like this. Especially with the situation involving dragons…

She opened her eyes and looked to her right at Mest.

"How much magic do you have left?" She asked.

It was a reasonable question that came at an odd time for them.

"I still have plenty, especially after having time to rest from getting ourselves this far. Why?" Mest replied with a raised brow.

She gave an affirmed nod before looking to the horizon. In the distance was a gathering storm as well as indications of a fight between two powerful dragons, one of them being Acnologia. Even with the help of the other dragons and two of her guild mates fighting Mard Geer, the outcome was in doubt. And if in the outcome was in doubt, there was no way Wendy was going sit idly by and not do anything.

"I need a favor."

"Wendy?" Carla prompted curiously.

The blue haired girl clenched her fists and looked at Mest dead in his eyes. The former intel officer for the Council recoiled at the look of sheer determination on Wendy's adorable visage. Cute girls were never supposed to be fierce!

No, Mest didn't like Wendy in that way. He took to her like he would an older brother looking after a younger sister. But truth be told he never had that kind of connection with Wendy at all. He was never around her almost every day like the others were. So for now he would settle for being just a friend.

"I need you to take me to the others."

Mest quickly sucked in air while Carla gasped. They both looked at Wendy as if she were nuts to try something so reckless.

"Wendy you can't…"

"No. I won't do it." Mest replied hotly.

She honestly expected that reaction. Wendy had barely recovered and her magic reserves were near empty despite having somewhat adequate time to rest her body and mind.

"Mest please. I may not have any magic power left but I still owe it to my family to make sure they're safe. And if anything I owe it to my fellow Dragon Slayers to support them as best I can." She explained.

The young man shook his head and placed his hands on her small shoulders.

"Wendy listen to me… you don't have much magic left to support them with. You spent a good amount of it fighting that demon and destroying one of the Face weapons. You've done more than enough today."

That did seem fair. She did exhaust herself in that bout. But she wasn't going to budge on this. The least she could do though was get their opinions. So she turned to Carla to get her verdict. The white Exceed was pensive and averted eye contact at first. But when her Dragon Slayer partner gave a certain 'look' that asked her kindly to look her in the eye she hesitantly complied.

"Although I want to help the others too, he's right Wendy. We are in no condition to aid our guild mates, we would only get in the way." Carla reluctantly agreed.

Wendy's determined face softened and gave way to a gentle look that was usually associated with her… one of childlike innocence. Yet despite the innocence physically, she carried an aura of maturity that not many her age had. She gave both of her companions a kind smile before shrugging off Mest's hands so she could stand back and get a good look at them both.

"I appreciate the concern you two, but I've made my decision." She said as she closed her eyes.

She opened her eyes to see that both Mest and Carla were looking at her with pleading eyes and worried faces.

"Wendy… think about this." Mest again urged.

She smiled away as she walked over and got in front of Carla. She proceeded to get down on both knees before taking Carla's paws into her hands and giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"Carla will be with me like always. She's never let me down once and she's always been there for me. So I won't be going alone." Wendy stated with a beaming smile.

The bluenette's furry partner couldn't help the blush and the look of gratefulness that accompanied it.

"Wendy…" Carla murmured with a small smile.

Wendy's smile widened before she turned her head to see what Mest would say or do. She knew what he was capable of after the whole identity reveal back on Tenrou. She also knew he wouldn't hurt her at all… she just hoped he would trust her judgement.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

His head was hung low and his hands were balled tight enough that his knuckles had to be a new shade of white by now. He grimaced at the feeling of anxiety and dread that were bubbling back to the surface.

"I… I can't lose you a second time…" Mest muttered under his breath.

Wendy's sensitive hearing picked up those words and help but gasp. She placed a hand over her mouth as her mind started to race a little. The young Dragon Slayer didn't think her disappearance seven years ago would have that much of an impact on him. They haven't seen nor talked to each other since she came back and she quickly surmised that he must've been feeling guilty for what happened that day in December.

She gave a soft sigh before standing up and walking in front of him, looking up into his face where she could tell he was holding back a myriad of emotions. It showed that he genuinely did care like a friend would for another friend. She grew a sympathetic smile and spread her arms wide as an invite for a much needed hug.

"Come here." Wendy commanded in a soft tone.

Mest immediately drop to both knees and wrapped his arms around the petite girl, nearly tackling her over. To the girl's good fortunes, she kept her balance as she slowly wrapped her arms around Mest's good sized frame.

"I never held what happened all those years ago against you." She started out.

Mest started to squeeze his eyes shut and wrap around the girl's petite frame a little tighter as if he never wanted to let go. She alternated between soothing rubs on his upper back to patting him to assure that everything would be okay.

"You did what you had to do. Sure I was a bit upset but I never blamed you one bit. And to make things worse Acnologia came along and you thought we all died… including me."

That was Mest's low point. He left her and Fairy Tail's strongest at the mercy of Acnologia seven years ago. He was planted as a spy and out of selfishness was willing to do anything to complete the mission. Yet he couldn't look himself in the mirror afterwards after being around Wendy. His cover included him being an S-Class candidate and he had selected her as his partner. It was just meant to cement his cover for the operation… he ended up doing one thing operatives in the field should never do and that was get attached. Was it the fact she was so much younger than he was a factor? Was it her shyness and politeness that made it so that she had a place in his heart as a valued friend? Whatever the reason he treasured Wendy as a friend and comrade. And he was willing to go great distances to see her both happy and safe.

"But things have changed. I've gotten stronger and so have my guild. We're alive and fighting, even right now."

But in order for her to be truly happy, she needed to be allowed to make her own decision at times. Wendy broke the embrace and they both looked at each other.

"So don't worry about me, I promise I'll be okay." Wendy assured with a gentle smile.

He gave a resigned sigh before offering up his right hand with his pinky extended.

"Pinky promise?" He asked with a broken smile.

Carla shook her head in amusement as her partner extended her right pinky and hooked it with his.

"Pinky Promise." She beamed with an affirming nod.

* * *

 _ **Eternal Partners**_

Cruelty… when a person experiences it for a certain period of time they become a version of themselves that is often seen as broken or twisted. Sometimes when one experiences the true meaning of cruelty…

The fever…

The rage…

The feeling of powerlessness…

… Cruelty can often make good men and women cruel themselves. Minerva surmised that this was the story of her life.

Minerva Orland was a complex individual with a complicated history. Her past ultimately defined the woman she would become and the path she had chosen. And that was all thanks to the monster that was her father. But right now…

"Happy? What's wrong?"

She was dealing with several matters at hand. For starters the furry members of her group had stopped all of a sudden. They were quietly looking in a direction of an ongoing battle despite the fact they were novices when it came to sensing magical power.

( _"Strange… I wonder why they're being so quiet."_ )

There four of them… Exceeds they were called. Minerva never knew what they were, she only knew of their origin. Each Dragon Slayer she knew of minus the two Second Generation Slayers had an Exceed partner.

What Minerva also didn't know was their people's heritage.

Exceeds were (and still are) essentially a race of bi-pedal talking felines with a penchant for magic. Interestingly, the Exceeds origins did not originate in Earth Land but in the parallel world of Edolas. In Edolas, dating back as far as 100 years, the Exceeds were revered as Gods by the humans of their world due to their power. This was mainly due to the fact Exceeds could use magic naturally rather than depend on magic tools. Sometime in X784, the Exceeds ended up crossing over into Earth Land and becoming permanent inhabitants due to some unique circumstances. But if that's the case with them, whatever happened that made the Exceeds send down five of their own to Earth Land six years earlier?

First there's Happy…

Happy was a blue fur, white belly Exceed with big black eyes, pink ears, a pair of two tiny whiskers on each side of his face that was accompanied by light blue cheek marks, a white tipped tail and usually carried a small green knapsack that covered his guild mark on his back which was also green.

Happy was the partner of the Fire Dragon Slayer and a proud member of Fairy Tail, being its first Exceed and all.

Happy's egg was found by his Dragon Slayer and one of the Strauss siblings, the youngest named Lisanna. The adoptive Slayer thought for sure Happy was a dragon, much to his stupidity, before he was hatched. It had only been a few days before he was successfully hatched and made his debut in front of the entire guild. He was aptly named 'Happy' due to his positivity and cheerful nature. Since then he's been one of Fairy Tail's Exceed mascots and one of the people who most identifies with Fairy Tail's spirit and drive.

Next was Panther Lily…

Panther Lily was a black fur Exceed with small orange eyes, round ears, a white muzzle that is befitting of a panther, a pair of two small whiskers on each side of his face, a crescent shaped scar running along the side of his left eye and wore green gi style pants with black shoes. His guild mark was located on his back and was in the color white.

Panther Lily was the partner of the Iron Dragon Slayer, Gajeel Redfox of Fairy Tail.

Lily, as he was often called, was once a proud defender of his people back in Edolas until one day he saved a human life when said human was in crisis. The Elders that were the Queen's consultants didn't take too kindly to the fact he aided a human, beings they thought were below them due to the prestige Exceeds held in the eyes of humans. So for doing the right thing he was exiled and considered a fallen. The actions of the Queen's inner circle led to Lily eventually joining the Royal Army for Edolas, even being quickly promoted to the rank of Captain of the 1st Magic War Division. Due to extraordinary events in X784, Lily ended up coming to Earth Land with the rest of the Exceed people and joining Fairy Tail.

Then there's Lector…

Lector was a dark brown fur Exceed (majority of his body having in a mix of red too); his belly, paws, face and end of his tail were pink. He had large pointed ears, prominent tufts of fur jutting out from his cheekbones and he wore a blue button-up vest.

Lector was the partner of the White Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth.

According to the White Dragon Slayer, Lector sort of hatched on his own before he was found. Lector followed the White Dragon Slayer around for a few days before witnessing him fight. The show of strength and power convinced Lector to want to be by the White Dragon Slayer's side and much to said Slayer's reluctance he let the guy tag along. That was back in X778 and since then they've been inseparable.

And lastly there's Frosch…

Frosch was a green fur Exceed with large round eyes, a pair of rosy cheeks and prominent eyelashes. Aside from its (his or her) face, Frosch's body is covered by a pink frog-like suit with the back of it being covered by something similar to black leopard prints.

Frosch was the partner of the Shadow Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth.

Not much is known about how Frosch was found and hatched outside the fact the Shadow Dragon Slayer stumbled upon one day like his White Dragon Slayer did with Lector. To the Shadow Dragon Slayer, Frosch was so carefree and innocent it was like nothing fazed it (him/her). How Frosch got a hold of the famous or infamous pink frog costume, he'll never know. Due to the dark nature of the Shadow Dragon Slayer's Magic, Frosch was a welcoming light to his darkness. In all honesty, that was the best way to describe their relationship.

Now Minerva was very familiar with Lector and Frosch. After all… it wasn't long ago they were in the very same guild a month ago before the Territory mage left of her own accord.

( _"I honestly wonder if they'll welcome me back… even with all that I've done…"_ )

See, Minerva had a difficult past that molded her to be not only a powerful mage but one with a mean streak. That mean streak led to confrontations in the Grand Magic Games that made the populace as well as mages from other guilds think of her in a negative light. When her guild ended up losing, she went AWOL and joined the dark guild Succubus Eye, a subordinate of Tartaros. Her sole goal was to make her greatest rival from the games suffer in a bout of sweet revenge.

Well… the Gods must have had a weird sense of humor given what Minerva had to go through. Minerva fought her rival again a couple of weeks ago and lost again before being kidnapped by Tartaros for experiment purposes. She was then given the powers of a demon making her half human-half demon and boosting her own magic power. Hours earlier she faced off against her rival again… losing a close fight before the arrival of Lector, Frosch and their Dragon Slayer partners… the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth. After hearing their exclamations of wanting to bring her back and even hearing the pleas of her rival going the extra mile to help her… the lump in her throat was too big to swallow and the little girl once thought lost shed tears of joy at finding the light she had not seen in so long.

( _"At least you and those pesky Dragon boys never gave up on me…"_ ) She thought with a small smile.

As of now Minerva was carrying her rival… Erza Scarlet also known as Titania also known as the Queen of the Fairies. Erza's storied journey has seen her go from orphan to slave to career mage at Fairy Tail. Not only is Erza an expert swordswoman and tactician but she's smart, beautiful and carries with her a heart of fairy gold.

Currently, Erza was passed out and being carried on Minerva's back. The redhead knight was still in her Clear Heart Clothing, which consisted of a white sarashi around her chest and a red hakama with gold flame printed at the bottom of the pant legs. Erza had exhausted her magic fighting Kyoka, a demon gate of Tartaros and Mard Geer's de facto second-in-command. It was only with Minerva's help that she was able to win.

Minerva slowly squatted down near a wall and eased Erza off her back so she could be propped up against a wall. Until she could put together something more comfortable, Minerva would make do with a wall acting a temporary bed. As she looked Erza over, she couldn't help but keep the smile on her face. Even with all the blood and dirt stains marring the buxom, athletic frame Erza was still radiant as ever. Minerva envied her for many things, looks included… well that might have been a tad bit debatable but still.

( _"I'll find some way to make it up to you, I promise."_ )

Her glove covered hand gently tucked a loose piece of hair that had come undone from Erza's ponytail. She even went as far as licking her thumb before using it to wipe away a troublesome smudge on Erza's cheek. Minerva had now made it her mission to help her rival turned friend once everything had died down.

"Minerva…"

The sound of a familiar voice broke Minerva's attention away from her patient. She turned to see the four Exceeds all looking at her, huddled in a group.

"Yes?"

Each of the Exceeds shared a glance which made Minerva honestly raise a curious eyebrow.

"I'm sorry but we have to go now." Happy said with a frown.

This was unexpected. And it sounded a bit ominous which raised several red flags in Minerva's head.

"W-wha… what do you mean?" She sputtered uncharacteristically.

Lily crossed his arms, Lector was comforting Frosch with a friendly pat on Frosch's back and Happy merely clutched his paws before giving Minerva his best game face.

"Natsu needs me. The Dragon Slayers need us right now. We have to go."

The conviction in his voice would have convinced her then and there. He was so much like his partner it was adorable. Yet she couldn't help but question them all. Wherever they were going would all in likelihood be dangerous.

"I take it you want me and Erza to stay behind while you guys go off on your own?" She asked.

They all gave her a nod. She sighed before putting on a stern face.

"You do realize it's dangerous out here. Despite the battle being nearly over, we can't take any chances and risk casualties when we're so close to leaving with our lives." Minerva warned.

No response.

"Besides, Sting and Rogue have likely already dealt with my… Father." She spat that last part.

Sting and Rogue…

It made her heart ache at the fact that her former guild mates would go through hell just to come back for her. She had always put up barriers, kept herself from experiencing true happiness and joy in life while always thinking of allies as a means to an end. She shook her head before standing up.

"And I know a certain Fire breather and Ice Mage is likely giving Mard Geer the beating of a lifetime. We have to have faith they will come back to us in one piece."

The mention of those two seemed to strengthen a fire within their respective bellies. All four Exceeds perked up, eyes lit up and smiles on their faces with Panther Lily being the sole exception.

"We understand that and then some Minerva. However, I won't leave my partner behind. He needs my assistance right now." Lily said.

This time Lector chimed in.

"Milady, we want to go help Sting and Rogue. We may not be able to do much but we won't be useless to them if we go help."

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch agreed with a determined cheer.

Minerva's visible eye widened in surprise. Not many things could make the Territory mage lose her composure but instances like this proved to be that few that could. Her stern façade dropped and her face softened to where a genuine smile appeared on her face.

"So I can't change your minds then… can I?" Minerva asked softly.

They all gave a collective nod. She sighed at their stubbornness. If that was going to be the case she could only do one thing…

"If that's the case then I'm going to need to ask something of you all."

Minerva proceeded to get down on both knees and motion for her two Sabertooth companions to come to her. As soon as they were in front of her she picked them up and cradled them in each arm.

"Frosch… Lector…"

The two Exceeds looked up expectantly with interest as Minerva took a deep breath before shuddering.

"I'm sorry."

She's… apologizing? This took them by obvious surprise. From what they seen and the way Minerva acted before, they weren't expecting an apology.

"For what Milady?" Lector prompted.

Minerva took a moment to scratch Lector behind his ears before gently stroking the back of his head.

"For everything. How I was before when Daddy dearest ruled Sabertooth… that person should have never existed in the first place." Minerva began with a somber smile.

She slowly raised her head and looked to the heavens on high. There was a distant look in her eyes but sadness was also there too. It was a different kind of sadness than what she experienced in July.

"So long ago… he broke me. He was always so cruel and so hell bent on wanting absolute power nothing else mattered to him. Even mother…"

Lily closed his eyes while his three fellow Exceeds were frowning in sadness. None of them along with their guild mates knew of Minerva's background let alone how she got her power.

Minerva's mother was an amateur mage who had a day job being a martial arts instructor. Although she wasn't powerful, Minerva's mom was recognized more for her personality, sense of honor and her good deeds within some local towns around the Kingdom of Fiore as well as the neighboring lands in Bosco, Caelum and Seven. Word of her expertise reached the ears of a budding guild master that went by one name… Jiemma.

Being the straightforward man (bastard more like it) he was, Jiemma met Minerva's mother by chance in the city of Crocus. What proceeded afterwards wasn't the story of love at first sight or some romantic-comedy tale. Despite the resilience and pride Minerva's mom displayed in Jiemma's 'courting' attempts; she was slowly being broken inside and out by the cruelest man in the kingdom.

"She didn't last long under his cruelty either. Like everything else to him, if she had no more use to him he merely threw her away, which is what he did eventually. She died sometime later but I never had the chance to say goodbye to her or even give her a proper burial." She stated bitterly.

Minerva's mother was a proud martial artists and she heavily valued her strong will and spirit above everything physical. Even with that, she was stuck in an abusive relationship from beginning to end. Jiemma took his time in learning everything about her knowledge of martial arts before robbing her of her dignity on many occasions. One night in a fit of rage he forced himself on her and that was ultimately how Minerva was conceived. After Minerva was born, Jiemma threw her mother on the streets and to that end he nor Minerva never saw her again. There was speculation she fell into the world of the sex slave trade due to Jiemma's possible ties to the criminal element in the country of Bosco. Sadly, although not proven true publicly, Minerva's mother somehow ended up in the sex slave trade being used and abused for elitist scum for several years after Minerva was born. Minerva's mother ended up dying sometime after of unknown causes with more rumors persisting of possible suicide or drug overdose leading to the result. But Minerva never knew of her mother's fate, only the sparse stories of her life she was told by Jiemma.

"So he abused me, humiliated me, pushed my limits in every shape or form imaginable before he finally broke me and turned me into… well this."

The first five or six years of Minerva's life was spent in relative peace as most childhoods should be. But after her seventh birthday that came to a screeching halt.

Several days after celebrating her birthday with caretakers, Minerva was taken into the wilderness in Fiore and put through a nightmarish training regiment by her own father. Forced to strip naked, sleep in the elements and fight off wildlife to survive, the prodigy that was Minerva of Sabertooth was awakened and any innocence she had started to die within her. Her survival training in the wilderness lasted a month, with combat and magic training starting not long after her return. She eventually reached her breaking point when her father ordered her to kill a guild member by the name of Fingers. And when she refused, Jiemma ended up doing the deed before putting Minerva through the wringer again. For the next three years she experienced Jiemma's ugly side from varying degrees of sexual abuse, starvation, verbal abuse and numerous bouts of torture. The sadistic, egotistical, almost downright villainous persona Minerva put on was a result of her losing her innocence and maybe even her faith in humanity as a whole. Sure she gained immense magical power but the price was too high.

So she glanced towards Lector and Frosch while holding back tears. They both looked up at her with teary eyes.

"I just wanted to let you both know I'm proud to call you my comrades and my family more than anything. So please…"

And then the dam broke. She crushed both Exceeds to her feminine frame and hugged them like a life line while openly sobbing for the second time that day.

"Keep each other safe and let's go home when this is over!" She exclaimed as tears ran down the left side of her face.

Lector and Frosch were returning Minerva's hug in as much force their small bodies could muster.

"We…*sniffle*… will. We promise!" Lector said.

After the blubbering and sobs died down, Lector and Frosch were let out of Minerva's grasp and they rejoined Happy and Lily.

"Please take care of them you two. And keep yourselves safe as well." Minerva requested with a sad smile

"You have our word Minerva. We won't disappoint you." Panther Lily assured.

"Aye." Happy seconded.

This was officially out of Minerva's hands now. She internally prayed to the gods above that the Exceeds would succeed in helping the others. She stood up, crossed her wrists across the front of her body and waited to send them off properly.

"Well… I guess this is it."

The Exceeds nodded at each other before sprouting their wings and taking off into the sky. Minerva sighed before squatting back down to check on Erza. One last time she glanced at the cloudy night sky.

"Be safe. All of you." She muttered under her breath.

And just like that, Minerva continued to tend to Erza before formulating a plan to get her back to her teammates properly. And the Exceeds raced across the air to find their Dragon Slayer partners.

* * *

 _ **Heart of Black Steel**_

She was safe. After what she went through and for her to push on was inspiring. He was stronger, faster and so much more magically gifted than her and yet he couldn't help but feel weak in her presence.

He joined sometime after Phantom had lost the guild war. Yet, he distanced himself because of how much harm he did… how much he had hurt her.

Make no mistake; he enjoyed it at the time. He sat atop the food chain in his guild and only had one other Dragon Slayer to contend with. The young man had money, notoriety and most of all power. In addition to that, he took satisfaction in his work… even to the degree some would call him a sadistic individual. But that's what his former master wanted him to be. The man took him in when he had nowhere else to go. And then that same man turned him into a weapon. An animal who was on a short leash at all times who still had some free reign to let loose and do what he damn well please. But those were just memories. Those days were long gone and he was a new man. The guild war with Fairy Tail humbled him, especially when he lost to his rival and fellow Dragon Slayer, the "Salamander". And when the 3rd Master and Wizard Saint sought him out, he was animate in refusing to join the very guild he tried to destroy. He didn't have the stomach nor the balls to face any of them again… least of all that angel he crucified on the Rainbow Sakura tree in Magnolia Park.

But in time she forgave him… he earned her trust and the trust of the others. As time passed he fought by their side against the greatest threats all the while making memories in his own way. After that 7 year stasis nap on Tenrou, he helped bring the guild to glory with a great showing in the Grand Magic Games. However, his spirits were dampened when he and his fellow Dragon Slayers couldn't slay a single dragon during the Eclipse Gate incident. It made him a bit bitter in a sense, given he and the others were trained to kill beasts that weren't even around anymore. It also made him feel like he wasn't strong enough or even deserving enough to be around the people he could finally call his family. However, she showed him otherwise and it made him press on with the goal to be even stronger for a more selfish reason than protecting the guild… he wanted to keep her safe.

So he did just that in his fight against the demons of Tartaros. He succeeded in taking down one of the demon gates in Torafuzar, albeit in a nail biter. However his victory was short lived when he had to deal with a revived Tempester, the demon responsible for attacking former councilman Yajima and putting one of Fairy Tail's teams the Thunder Legion (who also went by the name of Thunder God Tribe) into critical condition. Leader of said team, a young man by the name of Laxus Dreyar, was a Second Generation Dragon Slayer and came to the timely rescue in what amounted to a rematch between Laxus and Tempester. Of course Laxus edged out a victory but his opponent refused to stay down. Tempester was going to attempt what amounted to a suicide bomb that would release a deadly mist of Anti-Ethernano Particles, a substance usually found in Magic Barriers. He had already pulled this trick off once but luckily Fairy Tail's resident Ice Magic expert stopped him… somehow.

He didn't have long to dwell on the strange things going on with his best friend's crush, he had bigger fish to fry… like the nagging sense of uneasiness eating away at him. He had quickly delivered Laxus to Porlyusica, the guild's cranky physician and doctor, along with a key ingredient to an antidote to the sickness Laxus and his team was suffering from. The young man didn't stick around long and regrouped with three other people. But he couldn't stay… he had a Dragon Slayer to go support in the very least… he owed Salamander that much.

"Gajeel?"

At hearing his name, the young man strolled forward to find the small group he left behind. This group consisted of three people, all of them female.

The first was an azure blue haired girl that the now named Gajeel had come to know as his best friend, practically his sister for years now. She usually sported a long sleeved blue dress that was a shade darker than her hair and navy fur trimmed shawl that covered her neck and the upper portion of her dress. Currently, that dress was in shambles, primarily the top half. Even worse, she was missing her Cossack hat with the golden butterfly pin that usually identified her and went with her blue eyes and awesome smile. Her name is Juvia Lockser, a former member of Phantom Lord like Gajeel and as of right now she is propped up against a wall, unconscious after the battle with one of the demon gates finally settled in. Of course the most heartbreaking thing for Gajeel to see and hear was the yearning for her crush… the same guy that saved him but at the same time Gajeel thought Juvia could do so much better. That is until recently he noticed her crush not being so cold to her anymore. Hell, he even noticed their scents starting to mingle together and that could only mean one thing… the Ice boy was returning her feelings in force, slowly but assuredly. He'd congratulate the guy before leaving him a warning about breaking her heart. Of course he'd never get the chance if his best friend's boyfriend ended up dying when they were so close to victory.

Squatting down next to her was the angel in both his dreams and nightmares. She was wearing her usual outfit, orange mini dress with white trim and detached sleeves that matched. In her blue hair that reached her shoulders was her signature orange headband with a pseudo rose of the same color. Gajeel's angel and pending mate, given he was a Dragon Slayer and all, was Levy McGarden. Miss McGarden was regarded as more of a book smart mage than one that was battle oriented like Titania, Salamander, the She-Demon or even Gajeel himself. Sure she could defend herself against lesser opponents, given the fact she had a team she could count on but one-on-one? Levy would usually do her best to pick the enemy apart using her brain and magic in combination. If the enemy was too strong, she'd give the fight her best shot before making a tactical withdrawal. To Gajeel, Levy proved a very popular saying true when they started spending more time together… Opposites really do attract. That would make a really great song if he could come up with the proper lyrics.

"Hey." He greeted as he approached.

Levy stood up to face him properly.

"Juvia is resting now. Poor thing passed out not too long after you left." She told him with a worried look.

Inside he was hurting a bit emotionally. Tartaros had damaged a lot of lives in such a short span and did so better than the other two pillars of the Balam Alliance could ever do. But the nightmare was nearing its end. Gajeel spared a glance towards Juvia's resting form, checking her over for any injuries missed.

( _"You did good Juvia. I'm proud of ya."_ ) He thought with a small grin.

"Good. She's earned it." The young man said after a moment.

"I think we all have Gajeel." Levy agreed with a small smile of her own.

He hummed in agreement before looking over to the other person in the group. This person he looked upon was responsible for finding a way to free everyone when Mard Geer froze them all. Currently, this person was standing on a stable pile of debris looking the direction of two critical battles that would mark the end of the most chaotic period Fairy Tail has seen in some time.

"How's she doin?"

Levy blinked a few times before directing her gaze in the same direction Gajeel was looking. She found her eyes landing on a woman dressed in a green, gold bikini with a zig-zag pattern, detached matching sleeves and a miniskirt. The young lady had her hair in twin pigtails with green ribbons.

"Oh Lu?"

Lu was a nickname she had for her best friend.

Her name is Lucy Heartfillia.

Lucy Heartfillia was a very spirited teenage girl whose dream was to one day become a mage of Fairy Tail. Her story began when she was born into a wealthy household, her father Jude being a big time businessman. Jude, met Lucy's mother Layla when they both became members of a merchant guild by the name of Love & Lucky. The infatuated couple left the guild due to Layla becoming pregnant and named their soon to be born daughter off of a mishap with their guild's sign. Time passed and Lucy experienced a somewhat lively childhood. While Jude tended to business, the spirited girl was left in her mother's care as well as the care of her family's maids and butlers. Never once did the girl think of the maids and butlers as slaves or servants but as family, a sentiment and view that was shared with her mother. Anyways, her mother it turns out was a wizard, more importantly a Celestial Mage.

Celestial Mages were summon type mages who could call on Spirits from the Celestial Realm. These spirits usually acted as support or frontline fighters for their summoner during battles. Also, Celestial Spirits were often called upon because they were seen as valuable companions and more than just a valuable magic asset. Again, this sentiment was shared by the Heartfillia girls.

Layla Heartfillia helped introduce Lucy to magic at an early age and introduced the young girl to the spirits that would soon be in her care. Due to the tragic circumstances of Magic Deficiency Disease, Layla Heartfillia passed away when Lucy was 10 years old. The tragic experience led to a broken relationship between Lucy and her father Jude who underwent a change in personality, distancing himself from his daughter as much as possible. The fractured relationship led to Lucy eventually running away at the age of 17. Her journey took her to Hargeon where she ran into a Salmon Haired boy only a year older than her and his talking blue cat, later identified as an Exceed. The rest as they say is history. She later joined Fairy Tail two days later and never looked back.

"Well…" Levy began.

Now given all that they been through, Levy has thought nothing but the world of the intelligent, ditzy and unique blonde. If the bluenette could, she would say Lucy was her favorite… and behind her a brunette Card mage by the name of Cana Alberona. Levy has her reasons for both.

"She's worried about him. Not being able to fight by his side is killing her more than she lets on." She explained.

Levy shared some things, if not a lot of things in common with Lucy from their love of books, some foods they liked and even the little things like fashion. But the biggest thing they had in common were the guys they were interested in… Dragon Slayers. Which is the reason why Lucy was worried and she had every right to be. Currently, the young man who had won her heart all those years ago and even introduced her to the guild of her dreams, was in tight battle against the master of the dark guild that threatened the existence of magic in the land and so many innocent lives.

"That's not all."

Gajeel turned his attention back to Levy and saw she was pensive and a bit nervous. It was like she didn't want to tell him some terrible news involving her best friend. He understood that… but he wanted to help as best he could.

"What is it?" He asked in a low tone.

"I think something bad happened before we were unfrozen. I don't know what it was but it has something to do with the fact her Aquarius key is broken." She explained with a frown.

That was a shock. What the two don't know is that Lucy sacrificed her Zodiac key to summon the Celestial Spirit King. At the time, she was outnumbered, outmatched and nearly got overpowered once the demons of Tartaros came at her in numbers. Aquarius gave her an ultimatum that meant losing her contract at the expense of saving the lives of the members of Fairy Tail. Heartbreaking as it was, Lucy made that sacrifice with the understanding that she was likely never able to summon Aquarius again. But that sacrifice gave Fairy Tail the chance to swing the battle back in their favor.

The others, including Gajeel arrived in time to back Lucy up who by then exhausted any magic she had left. He was mad at himself for not helping a comrade. He ruffled his black mane with one hand as he sighed irritably.

"Damn." He muttered.

Levy couldn't help but sigh sadly. Her best friend obviously was dealing with plenty of emotional problems and given the situation she couldn't help her out.

"Yeah…" Levy murmured.

Suddenly the bluenette felt a weight hit her shoulders… it was Gajeel's sleeveless long coat. She inspected the brown cloth and noticed the rips and stains yet couldn't help but think how durable it was. She quickly looked up in slight confusion as he walked past her.

"Huh?"

He stopped as if on reflex and thought about what he was going to say and do. There was a friend who needed him and a coming storm that put his dragon senses on haywire. He resolved himself to whatever fate and the gods had in store for him.

"Listen… there's somewhere I need to go Levy."

She walked over and slipped her small dainty hand into Gajeel's large one while keeping his coat clutched with the other hand. Soon enough his mitt encompassed her hand into a comfortable grip. Levy gave a look of curiosity and concern at her boyfriend while said man stared ahead.

"It'll be dangerous, no doubt about it. These guys were the toughest we ever faced and their leader sure as hell ain't no pushover."

He turned to face her as he gave her hand a squeeze. This squeeze was by no means rough but gentle, like a playful push. The petite bluenette couldn't help but widen her eyes at the look her Dragon Slayer boyfriend gave… unbreakable will and sheer determination. Whatever crazy stunt that was going to likely put him in harm's way, he was not going to listen to her argue with him about it.

"So I'm gonna back up Salamander and the Ice Boy as best I can."

In a swift set of movements, Gajeel brought Levy's hand to his chest over his heart while wrapping his free arm around the small of her covered back. This caught the Script Mage by surprise as she just let herself get held close to the young man she could call hers.

"And after that we'll go home… all of us." He assured in a low tone.

Her eyes slowly became lidded as her body got used to being embraced to Gajeel's large frame. What was it about Dragon Slayers and their warmth? She had a clue that Lucy experienced this with that salmon haired teen Levy had the honor of calling a friend for so long. Of course, he loved breaking and entering into Lucy's place almost daily but Levy figured it was just him marking his territory. She hasn't talked to Yukino in a while but after the Celestial Mage had rejoined Sabertooth, it was likely that the white haired teen experienced what Levy and Lucy experienced with her own Dragon Slayer, despite the fact he was the master of their guild. The point to all this… Dragon Slayers were excellent cuddlers.

"Okay. Just promise me something will you?" She said through a slight muffle.

Gajeel put some small distance between the two of them so he could get a good look at her, despite her not wanting to look into his eyes right now.

"Anything."

For a moment she did nothing but bite her lip and avert the eyes that were looking down at her. She loved the way he looked at her when he wasn't being an ass about her height. The best thing about being in a relationship was the bond that was built and the chemistry that was had between the two of them. Despite Gajeel putting on a front about being the tough guy, he had a big heart and it showed. She didn't have any romantic experience at all before meeting Gajeel. Sure her teammates Jet and Droy always crushed over her but there was no spark between them. She appreciated the adoration but it would just never work and she would always see them as friends. With Gajeel though… she felt wanted despite the way they met at first.

Slowly she peered up with her chocolate brown eyes and looked a lot like a pleading puppy. It was a look that gave Gajeel a small blush that didn't go unnoticed. However, given the situation they wouldn't go into their usual bout of banter. No… this was a meaningful moment between lovers and neither had an idea of what was going to happen next. They wanted to savor this moment as much as possible because the chances of them getting to do so come morning may not come.

"Come back to me… please." She pleaded with a teary eyed smile.

He couldn't help but give her an uncharacteristic gentle smile. Slowly, a small river of tears had formed on both sides of the petite lady's face. She was happy that Gajeel had given her his heart along with his love. Yet she was saddened and terrified at the fact that he was leaving her to go fight in a life or death battle with new enemies possibly coming soon. She never wanted to let go.

The Iron Dragon Slayer slowly brought up his hands and cupped Levy's face. He slowly brushed away the tears from her eyes before closing his own and planting a chaste kiss on her forehead. Although it was a private moment between the two it did not go unnoticed by Levy's best friend Lucy who only moments ago checked on her friends only to find out they were having a rather intimate moment. She smiled as she knew what Levy was going through to an extent and she was going to be there for her best friend in the best way possible.

"You got it Shrimp." Gajeel promised in a low tone.

The young man slowly backed away from his girlfriend before turning and heel and taking off into a sprint. If he was going to back up a fellow Dragon Slayer, he needed to act fast. There was no time to lose.

Back with the girls, Lucy came down before wrapping the shorter bluenette in a one armed hug of comfort. Deep down the young ladies were hoping… hell praying that nothing would go wrong. Fate had other ideas this day…

* * *

 _ **Twins of White and Shadow**_

Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney… The Twin Dragons of Sabertooth.

After Fairy Tail's strongest disappeared back in X784, their goal were to be the strongest mages possible. This meant in order to attain their goal they had to train and while also using other methods.

Sting and Rogue were both Third Generation Dragon Slayers, which meant they were not only taught Dragon Slayer magic by an actual dragon they were also implanted with a Dragon Slayer magic lacrima.

Their tales were rather similar yet different than their fellow Dragon Slayers. See, instead of their dragons disappearing on July 7, X777 they killed them… or so they were led to believe at least. Anyways, sometime afterwards they met their Exceed partners and traveled Fiore together before finding a place in Sabertooth. Although Jiemma had a harsh history when it came to training mages, the Twin Dragons weren't given the same treatment to an extent. They were expected to uphold a certain standard as well as push themselves to be the strongest mages in the land. As Sabertooth's motto goes 'We aim to stun the Heavens…' or at least that was the motto.

Jiemma's tenure ended when the former master and Sting came to a 'disagreement' which ended up with Jiemma having a hole in him then disappearing the night before the final day of the Grand Magic Games.

Speaking of the Grand Magic Games, Sting and Rogue's eyes were opened when they experienced Fairy Tail's spirit when battling against them. This was especially true when they fought against their fellow Dragon Slayers and idols in a two-on-two match at the end of Day 4. What they experienced was what a magic guild should be… a family. Rogue caught on and was envious of them while Sting was a bit more stubborn before relenting.

The Twin Dragons assisted in defending the capitol from the dragons of the Eclipse but couldn't slay a single dragon. Despite that they pushed forward and vowed to get stronger while also making Sabertooth a true guild like Fairy Tail. That started with Sting becoming master of the guild and then welcoming back the guild's sole Celestial mage and Sting's mate… Yukino Agria.

Since then things were relatively quiet with the exception of Sting and Rogue putting in some resources to look for Minerva Orland, Jiemma's daughter. She was distraught after Sabertooth had lost in the Games and left without a word. Both of them were well acquainted with her and how she behaved and were not surprised when she suddenly left. Yet, they worried over what she would do after being beaten by Erza.

Which led to now…

Sting and Rogue successfully rescued Minerva only to face obstacles in the forms of Mard Geer and the newly minted half-demon Jiemma.

( _"At least Jiemma's gone…"_ ) Sting mused with a pained smile.

Sting and Rogue had successfully defeated Jiemma moments ago and were now taking much needed breaks. Given it wasn't comfortable taking a nap with a face full of dirt, Sting managed to roll onto his back while Rogue had only managed to get to his side.

Through all the aches and pains, it felt good for the White Dragon Slayer to defeat a dark reminder of the past in the form of his disgraced master. And best of all he didn't do it alone.

( _"It's up to Natsu and Gray now to end this once and for all."_ )

Natsu Dragneel was Fairy Tail's Fire Dragon Slayer and Gray Fullbuster was Fairy Tail's Ice-Make Wizard.

Both of them had complicated histories that only a close few were privy too.

Natsu Dragneel was an orphaned boy who learned his magic from the Fire Dragon King Igneel. On July 7, X777 like all the other dragons Igneel disappeared and Natsu wandered onto Fairy Tail's front door and his true journey started there. From that point on, despite the recognition and prominence of so many of the other members who were clearly in a league of their own, Natsu was well known throughout the region as Fairy Tail's heart and soul. He was their undying flame and the one person who best represent what Fairy Tail stood for.

Gray Fullbuster was also an orphan, his parents killed when his home village was attacked and annihilated by Deliora, one of Zeref's demons. Not long after he was taken in by Wizard Saint and Ice-Make magic expert Ur as a student in learning Ice-Make. Gray, along with another student by the name of Lyon were Ur's students and lived in peace for a while until Deliora came calling. Gray's reckless actions led to Ur sacrificing herself in sealing Deliora away using a forbidden spell. Following his master's last wishes, Gray followed her advice and went west seeking wizards that were possibly stronger than she was. That quest led him to Fairy Tail, joining three years before Natsu did.

The two were the epitome of a true rivalry. They were fire and ice… a near unstoppable duo who were a nightmare to ruffians, dark mages and the criminal scum alike. Growing up their dislike then became respect before respect becoming an unbreakable bond. They were essentially brothers without the relation by blood. And that bond would be tested against the Twin Dragons previous opponent… Mard Geer.

Sting laid there pitying the titled king of the Underworld as to what he was facing. He knew firsthand what Natsu was capable of and had a good idea of what Gray could do too. As he drifted off into unconsciousness, Sting hoped the combined efforts of his friends would be enough.

( _"I think I'm gonna take a much needed nap… Hehe…"_ ) Sting thought as he closed his eyes with a smile.

* * *

 _ **Duo of Fire and Ice**_

If one could observe closely, there were bits and pieces of something in the air.

Frost, flakes of ice…

Embers of a burning flame…

Shockwaves and Explosions…

Two bodies flew into the ground creating a dust cloud. Once the cloud settled two bodies appeared. Down on one knee was Gray Fullbuster letting out ragged breaths and next to him was his rival and good friend Natsu Dragneel, who was hunched over doing everything in his power not to collapse. Even with Gray's newfound power, they were running on fumes. When Gray joined the fight against Mard Geer, the tide of the battle had turned in their favor. But Mard Geer decided to take it up a notch.

Several meters away was the master of Tartaros in his Etherious form. He gained much more muscle as well as height. His skin darkened to black and blue, gaining the same pattern as his cloak, which was now gone. On his head were long, dark horns that were located on his forehead, he had jagged teeth and retained his suave ponytail. His ears were lengthened and resembled that of elf ears, his fingers were now highly sharpened claws and he had large skeletal, bat-like wings that sprouted from his back.

"Well I'm running out of ideas. You got anything Pyro?" Gray questioned jokingly.

Natsu gave a pained chuckle as he tried desperately to catch his breath.

"Not a damn thing Popsicle. Shit, I'm almost out of energy too. This sucks." Natsu replied with a slight grin.

He was afraid of that… but the grin Natsu was sporting was comforting. Only Natsu could live up to the saying of 'Just Grin and Bear it'. At least they would go out swinging. It would still suck though.

"A valiant effort. But you've only delayed the inevitable humans." Mard Geer sneered.

Both mages scowled in defiance at their possible executioner. Even if they found a way to beat him they still had other business to take care of afterwards. The book of E.N.D., Acnologia re-emergence… and the unknown storm approaching. The salmon and raven haired teens were careful not to get distracted and focus on the fight, although a distraction honestly sounded nice right now.

Mard Geer readied his right hand.

"Face your fate and descend into purgatory!"

An eruption of power combined with a dark mist appearing out of thin air. Mard Geer's eyes shined as he readied his ultimate attack.

"Dammit…" Natsu uttered underneath his breath.

He and Gray shielded themselves as the mist approached them and dust was flying everywhere. As Mard Geer was powering up, Gray's recently gained Devil Slayer mark was acting up in response. Natsu was having issues of his own which to him were unexplainable for some reason. The Fire breather's powers were behaving unusually like some sort of weird itch he couldn't scratch. Nevertheless, they were in trouble. The mist slowly pooled around them and slowly crept up like a rising tide… then the pain came.

"Son of a…!" Gray hissed painfully.

"Motherfucking whore!" Natsu cursed in agony.

Both wizards were frozen, gritting their teeth and using ounce of strength not to cry out in pain. Another startling realization was that the mist had somehow paralyzed them, making vulnerable to any attack.

"This is the Memory of Death!" Mard Geer exclaimed.

A giant pillar swirled around the two Fairy Tail mages, which seemed to be near endless in height reaching the sky. They both continued to grit their teeth letting out pained groans as they were exposed to more of Mard Geer's curse power. As the pain amplified, the mages noticed the wall of curse power seemed to display what amounted to ghostly faces with glowing eyes… these were souls of the dead.

( _"That bastard!"_ ) They thought as rage temporarily blocked their pain.

Mard Geer smirked at what seemed to be an inevitable checkmate.

" **Memento Mori!"**

A bright explosion shined a light over the desolate ruins of the Cube. Mard Geer, assumed his victory and powered out of his Etherious form.

 _Elsewhere…_

["The time has come…"] a deep voice said to no one.

The storm from the north increased its speed and started to race towards the remains of the Cube. Along its path were two dragons who were in the midst of their duel. Well… unbeknownst to them they were about to have their fight interrupted.

 _Back at the Cube…_

Mard Geer was pissed. No… he was livid!

The two targets of his ultimate attack had somehow survived thanks to the Ice wizard using what was apparently Devil Slayer magic. The master of Tartaros knew only one person who used that power… Silver, codenamed Absolute Zero. If that were the case, that would mean that both him and Keyes were dead and leave Mard Geer dealing with two pesky annoyances.

"No… Gray?" Natsu murmured.

In front of him, Gray had taken the brunt of the attack using his Devil Slayer power. Disturbingly, Gray's left side was covered in black marks. He was deathly still and his pupils had shrunk considerably. Without warning Gray shakily fell forward before a pair of arms caught him and gently set him down face first.

Natsu stared down at Gray's fallen form with a grimace. For all the times they fought each other, for all the insults that were thrown around, for all the adventures they went on… he never once thought bad of Gray. And seeing him in this state angered him… and in his rage his power started to flicker and rise.

As Mard Geer was ready to taunt his sole opponent, two distinct presences made themselves known.

" **Iron Dragon's Roar!"**

" **Sky Dragon's Roar!"**

Two cyclones of Iron and Wind impacted Tartaros out of nowhere. Natsu knew those attacks and turned around to see the most welcoming sight he'd seen all day since reuniting with Igneel.

"You guys!" Natsu exclaimed with an excited grin.

Standing there was Gajeel and Wendy, with backup in the form of the Exceeds: Lector, Frosch, Panther Lily, Carla and…

"Natsu!"

"Happy!"

A blue blur flew straight into Natsu's chest, which he clutched happily.

"I missed ya buddy!" Natsu said with a wide grin.

"Aye sir! I missed ya too Natsu!" Happy said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Mard Geer was unamused at the pathetic attempt by his foes. The dust cleared showing he only had a few scratches and he was more annoyed than before. Before he could come up with some sort of reasonable threat befitting his prey something caught his and everyone's attention. The battlefield's occupants looked up and saw a light in the sky. The storm that had come from the north was starting to encompass the skies in every direction, leaving an opening for the light in the sky.

The exhausted mages winced at the brightness of the light in the sky and the sudden alertness in their instincts.

( _"That hole is bad news…"_ ) Natsu thought.

Suddenly…

"What the…"

Gajeel's voice brought everyone's attention to something else entirely. The rocks and debris was starting to levitate… all in the direction of the light. The new situation immediately clicked and Natsu's eyes widened to a considerable degree. He looked to his companions with a panicked look.

"RUN!" Natsu shouted.

Everyone with the exception of Mard Geer did just that. Natsu hoisted Gray onto his left shoulder while cradling Happy in his right arm. He took off as fast as his legs could carry him, even as his muscles screamed for him to stop. Gajeel and Wendy had managed to secure their respective Exceed partners while trying to assist Lector and Frosch with the still unconscious Twin Dragons. But their efforts proved all for naught when they were all lifted into the air. Natsu looked around and everything seemed to slow down.

Wendy shrieked as she held onto Carla…

Gajeel was spitting every curse he knew as he held onto Panther Lily…

Lector was begging frantically for Sting to wake up…

Frosch was a blubbering mess as it (he/she) held onto Rogue for dear life…

One collective thought ran through Natsu's mind as their lives were possibly about to end.

( _"This is gonna suck…"_ )

Six Slayers and five Exceeds entered the light, disappearing from Fiore and Earth Land without a trace.

Down below Mard Geer had rooted himself and smirked as he watched his troublesome foes get taken to into whatever he just opened. Nothing was going to stand in his way of fulfilling his mission and…

*SHINK*

A foreign presence made itself known to Mard Geer as he slowly looked down in shock…

"I…I-Ice?"

A sharp pillar of ice was protruding itself from his stomach. Just like that… someone had killed him, albeit slowly. The question was who?

"I'll be taking the book now demon."

He wanted to turn and see the source of the voice but couldn't. His legs were freezing and it turns out ice was creeping up his body starting with his feet. The blood in his veins were starting to run cold. The poor bastard could feel his own mortality.

"You have caused much death and destruction today and for that your death will be slow. Be grateful it wasn't your master who did the deed." The feminine voice continued.

A woman? But who? And how did he not sense her? The scariest thing was the fact she was so calm about this. She had ended him in one swift move without alerting him to her presence whatsoever.

"E.N.D. shall rise again. But it will not be by yours or Zeref's will."

He was having a hard time breathing. His eyes were wide as the numbness took over and his power started to leave him rapidly. Mard Geer desperately tried to form words to respond but couldn't.

"For the chosen few to defend this world from darkness…"

Three figures slowly walked past him. His eyes were now in a fixed position, fearing he could no longer properly move them since the ice had completely worked its way through his bloodstream. For one final time he identified who these three strangers were.

The First was a tall voluptuous woman with thickly braided, bow adorned scarlet colored hair. Her front two braids had golden ornaments on the upper portion. She also sported red lipstick and two U-shaped earrings. In terms of clothing, it was a more exotic version of a witch's garb. The black top had a diamond shaped opening, exposing the lower part of her bosom with heart-shaped pattern around the borders. The top extended down to the navel of her stomach which exposed an angular scar, draped over by a dark colored cape with light color inside, two medallion like ornaments and is held together by a gold chain. The woman, possibly a mage, wore an elongated black loincloth with the symbol of a foreign country on the front. She also wore black thigh-high boots with a matching set of gloves that seemed to have claw-like extensions. Her black witch's hat was bigger than her head and possessed dreadlock designs with white bandaging near its ends. The hat also had fur lining. Lastly, the mage carried what appeared to be a staff taller than she was. Strangely enough she looked strikingly familiar to the redhead knight Kyoka had captured earlier.

The Second was woman in her 30s roughly, had a shapely hourglass figure. Her lengthy hair was in a ponytail and had side-swept bangs in front with two strands of hair draped down the sides of her head. The woman was dressed elegant blue and white robes with a high collared cloak. She was wearing a dark colored keyhole blouse and a long white dress. Oddly enough she resembled the Celestial mage that called the Celestial Spirit King.

The Third woman caught the demon's attention the most. She had black hair, wore a black gown with white wraps around her sleeves that flow down like a tail. She was wearing black thigh-high open-toed stiletto-heeled boots. Her nails had been painted in a dark steel color.

Her magic aura was so high it was off the charts. In addition to that not many mages could wield ice like she could. And when the subject of her appearance popped back up… he realized just who she was. It had been several centuries since she and her kind came… and she walking the world in her messenger form. She was the true wielder of all things ice and snow…

"Shi-"

Mard Geer's last words died out as the top half of his body exploded. Instead of becoming Anti-Ethernano particles, the remains of the master of Tartaros had become harmless snowflakes. The three women didn't even give the half corpse of the etherious a second glance as they stood tall, looking towards the heavens.

"They need the best resources and training to unlock their true potential. Only then can they save this world from the brink of calamity." The brunette stated with a smile.

She pressed the tome that read the letters 'E.N.D.' to her body and readied herself for what was to come.

"Ladies, let us depart. The young ones will need you soon." She said over her shoulder.

The brunette's companions shared a glance before nodding. After a non-verbal agreement, the trio watched from the ground as five dragons filed into the light in the sky. It seemed whatever adventure await on the other side, they were willing to follow.

* * *

 **A/N: Sweet Lawd Almighty! I've done it!**

 **There is the first chapter and to be honest I droned on… I'm sorry. But we have a legitimate first chapter to the Slayers of DxD Reboot. Moving on…**

 **This chapter gets you familiar with key characters as well as their backgrounds. That was my aim and I did that but probably went overboard. Again, sorry.**

 **Next chapter deals with the aftermath of the Tartaros Arc as well as our Slayers arriving in the Dimensional Gap. Now let me clarify, whatever you know about the Dimensional Gap from DxD is going to change for the purposes of this story. You will see why I said that next chapter.**

 **My plans for the chapters after Chapter 2… Involve the Slayers getting very, very acquainted with the world of DxD and its oh so interesting characters. There will also be a brief training montage that will not only make the Slayers stronger but also give them a chance to get familiar with their arsenal. The training and instruction period will likely last two chapters, three chapters max.**

 **Arsenal you say? Well here are the only spoilers I'll give you is that each Slayer gets a unique weapon or weapons set. As to what they'll be, just wait.**

 **Those who are familiar with Fairy Tail and the characters are likely asking if E.N.D. will appear in the story… answer is a Hell yes. When and where? Wait and see.**

 **Will the Slayers become Devils or Angels? Nope. Given what I've planned out in terms of arcs and who will be what, the Fairy Tail cast going to DxD will not be associated with the supernatural in that way.**

 **Progress on Pairings and Harem(s)? They are all set and will be revealed as we progress through the story. Not right now though. Lol**

 **Will there be mating themes? Yes.**

 **Will there be evidence or signs of the various fetishes people have? Yes. What will they be? Wait and see. (Unintentional rhyme lol)**

 **Will I get creative in terms of openings and endings? Maybe.**

 **Will I use BGM or Soundtracks in certain fight scenes? Absolutely. I had that planned for a story still in the works. Some of you will like the selections I make, some of you might not. But we'll go forward and see how it goes. I think it'll be fun for sure.**

 **Lastly special announcement… We will be having guest stars and added reoccurring characters appear throughout the story on the DxD side. You'll like the surprises in store trust me. Some of you will easily recognize each character from the various franchises and yes proper credit to the owners of those characters will be included in the Author's Note I promise.**

 **This isn't the same Slayers of DxD story done by the previous two authors. I know that. I asked the previous author to make the changes I see fit and the author gave his blessing. Will there be evidence of the previous versions of the story in this one? In the first two story arcs yes to an extent.**

 **Thoughts on the chapter, characters and story going forward you know what to do. Snarky remarks, compliments, comments and anything of that nature goes in the review section.**

 **Got any questions PM me. I'll do my best to respond in a timely fashion.**

 **You guys have been wonderful. Thank you to all the followers, the people that favorited the story, fellow authors, readers and guests on the site. You guys rock!**

 **See ya Later!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: We're back baby! (Bender voice)**

 **So time to kick off the New Year with a new chapter for a rebooted story.**

 **I would like to thank you guys for your patience in waiting for story updates from me. The holidays were distracting for me, in a good way of course. Spent some time with my parents, caught up on sleep and watched a lot of sports. I was so distracted I barely touched Marvel's Spider-Man and Assassin's Creed Odyssey and I'm a bit upset with myself for not finishing the first game over break like I intended. But enough about that…**

 **Jump Force, DB Super Movie and Kingdom Hearts III are all coming out soon! Get excited people!**

 **So what will you see in this chapter? In all honesty just the aftermath of the last chapter. This is the filler chapter before we head over to DxD. In addition to that, both worlds will stray from canon. To what degree, you will find out. Also research on the story of DxD has been going well so shout out to one of my reviewers for the link for reading the Light Novel.**

 **I've honestly had so much time planning this story it's not even funny. My creativity may have gotten out of hand but I had fun putting these ideas together and finalizing them.**

 **For those waiting on the update of my other story, I am working on that next chapter as we speak. Just keep a watch out because I suck at deadlines. Lol**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **The Original Authors of Slayers of DxD were (and still are) Crossover Wizard Master and** **dude932. All credit for the original intent of the story goes to them.**

 **Hiro Mashima and any related parties own Fairy Tail and any related spin-offs, sequels or products of any kind with regards to the series**

 **Ichiei Ishibumi and Miyama-Zero along with any related parties own High School DxD and any related products of any kind with regards to the series.**

 **Any characters, places and ideas used in this story do not belong to me.**

 **Music, Songs and Soundtracks featured in this story do not belong to me and are used for the readers benefit (mostly my own just because lol).**

 **Use and/or mentions of historical figures, pop culture icons, religion and religious figures in general will be in this story for purely entertainment purposes.**

* * *

 **Several Days Later**

 **Kingdom of Fiore**

 **Nighttime**

 **[Classified]**

Some time had passed since the Tartaros event and things across the Kingdom of Fiore had died down rapidly. The cities and towns that were attacked were already making great strides in the rebuilding process. Now all that was left was the healing process…

Somewhere in the kingdom were the ruins of a once large, majestic structure. This building had once belonged to the people who were the authorities in the magic world… the Magic Council. A lone, short figure was walking to the remains of a room. This man thought back on recent days and what had transpired.

Following the chaotic events in Tartaros' attempted endgame, King Toma E. Fiore called in an emergency meeting requiring all light guild masters, the Wizard Saints, surviving members of the Rune Knights and surprisingly the independent guild Crime Sorciere to attend.

The meeting itself went relatively smoothly given it was conducted in secret and at night. Matters and Topics that came up were: Acnologia's resurgence, forming a new Magic Council, financing repairs in the areas affected in the recent attacks and lastly… the recent strings strange of magical occurrences.

In regards to Acnologia… according to Fairy Tail's master Makarov Dreyar, the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse had appeared on the battlefield due to the immense amount of magic that was concentrated in one area. He immediately noted how it was the same as back in X784 when Acnologia was the cause for the disappearance of Fairy Tail's best. Following Acnologia arriving, Makarov heard several reports of there being another dragon present at the scene. The shocking news was the fact the dragon that appeared was one of the dragons that had adopted one of the Dragon Slayers. When asked about said Dragon Slayers, Makarov kindly asked to save that for later, which everyone agreed to do so.

The next matter of discussion was rather… complicated. The King did his best in helping to nominate the best candidates suited to lead the new Magic Council, which were mostly sound candidates. The problem though lied in the number of candidates that accepted the offer and those who refused. Small arguments broke out about how senior leadership in the Rune Knights should be considered for most if not all positions on the Council. The counterargument was having Rune Knights, known well for their loyalty to the Council and its somewhat aggressive agenda, would present conflicts of interest so the King and guild masters shot the idea down right there. In the end, four Wizard Saints would take over as members of the Council and leave the other positions open for those willing to go through the proper screening.

There was a short progress report when it came to the recovery and relief efforts of the towns and families affected in Tartaros' attacks. Casualties were rather low, only amounting to the former Council members that were assassinated as well as all the injured.

Now for the topic that had everyone a bit antsy… the strange magic occurrences that had been the talk for several days now.

It started right at the end of Fairy Tail's battle with Tartaros. The stronger members of Fairy Tail made statements of how there was a high amount of magic power within a thunderstorm that appeared out of nowhere. This raised questions as to who would intervene and why as long as the chief culprit. Someone posed the question if Laxus Dreyar was the one who made the storm to which Makarov shot down due to the fact his grandson was unconscious and injured at the time. Next were the unexplained magic phenomenon and weather patterns: high speed winds in small towns, choppy waters out at sea resulting in multiple capsized ships or ships lost at sea, unusual seismic activity, sightings of a massive winged beast not matching Acnologia's description and the strange light in the sky the night Fairy Tail defeated Tartaros.

That last one brought the mood down due to one thing… the missing mages within the zone of the last battle.

The mages that weren't suffering from severe injuries volunteered to assist Makarov in surveying the zone. During their investigation, the group discovered the aftermath of the battle with the area littered in craters and magical signatures they were easily able to identify. In addition to that, they stumbled upon a half frozen corpse which was confirmed to be Mard Geer of Tartaros. Although everyone was relieved at that bit of news there was concern as to what happened to the missing mages and even the Exceeds. Sadly, no trace of the missing was found and theories formulated as to what their collective fate was. The more 'calculating' members estimated they were killed in a way that their bodies were unrecoverable, much to Makarov and some of the guild masters irritation. Others theorized that the missing were possibly spirited away by the light that appeared in the sky that night. Regardless of what the others said, Makarov was downtrodden at the fact that members of his family simply vanished without a trace. Even worst there was very little he could do to comfort those who were close to the mages that were gone.

And now…

Long after that meeting had ended, Makarov Dreyar looked at the remains of the old Council HQ within a location not known to the public, shared with only a select few.

"I know you're there. You can come out now."

From the shadows of a peaceful forest with a beautiful mountain backdrop comes a hooded man, wearing a cloak over his clothes and boots.

"I came as quickly as I could. My team and I were handling one of Tartaros' subordinate guilds. Almost turned into a mess…" The hooded man said.

Makarov hummed in response. He took a few steps before taking a seat on a pile of rubble. The hooded man stayed in the standing position, looking at the elderly man with a passive expression.

"It's been some time since the meeting, I'm surprised to see you back to work so soon Mr. Fernandes." Makarov said.

Jellal Fernandes. Jellal, is a former Wizard Saint, a former member of the Magic Council and leader of the independent guild Crime Sorciere. Born in X765, Jellal found himself in the slave trade and at the mercy of cultists at an early age. He escaped slavery but not exactly according to plan. In X784, while under the effects of magic was responsible for the deaths of staff for the Magic Council, destruction of the Magic Council HQ and the rebuilding of the R-System. It was only after his apparent death/disappearance to his sudden re-appearance that Jellal had truly returned in mind, body and soul. And after a short prison stint, Jellal formed Crime Sorciere with two other mages: Ultear Milkovich and Meredy. Since the formation of the guild, he and his comrades had spent several years fighting and disbanding dark guilds. As of now, he recently recruited several new members into the fold… the Neo Oracion Seis.

"Our work is too important to simply stop for breaks, especially now." Jellal replied.

"Of course."

A small gust of wind wafted through the area while moon shone brightly illuminating the area. One sat as the other stood basking in the sound of the night for a few moments.

"I'm leaving Fairy Tail."

The Heavenly Body Mage widened his eyes at the sudden declaration.

"B-But why?" He couldn't help but stammer.

The moment their eyes met, Jellal couldn't help but notice the tiredness he failed to see a few days ago. Then Jellal's look of shock shifted to one of sympathy. He understood the look in those black eyes and had an idea of what Makarov was going through. It wounded the young man to see such a kind soul be tortured by recent events.

"I'm getting old Jellal. Even after being asleep for seven years, my time on this world is limited. And on top of that, it was time for me to step down."

Jellal stayed quiet and couldn't help but frown. He figured Makarov had more reasons than what he just said but he wouldn't press.

"That and due to some unique circumstances I must leave the country for an indefinite amount of time." Makarov stated.

That caught the younger man's attention and he simply raised a brow at this.

"With that said I need a favor, two actually."

Makarov hopped off his perch and walked over in front of Jellal. The Heavenly Body Mage didn't mind doing the favors so instead of giving a verbal response he nodded.

"First, I would like for you to contact the guild via Erza and work out a partnership between Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere." Makarov said.

Jellal nodded and would be more than happy to comply. He hadn't spoken to Erza in since the aftermath of the Tartaros incident. He did his utmost to comfort her before he had to leave. It isn't easy being a wandering mage…

"And the second favor?" Jellal prompted.

Makarov stared at Jellal for a second. Despite his history, the old man saw the good inside the Heavenly Body mage. He also knew he could trust him to keep secrets. The elderly man hated keeping more secrets but this one was just as much life and death as the others. So he steeled himself and made the decision.

"As for the second favor…"

* * *

 **The Next Day**

 **Kingdom of Fiore**

 **Morning**

 **Forests outside of Magnolia**

It was a beautiful, sunny morning in Magnolia with very few clouds in the sky. The birds were chirping, deer were grazing and the citizens within the town were hard at work.

In the Forest located to the East was a lone young man who sat on a rock. He wore a high-collared black and tan robes with gold trim and a large white toga draped across his torso. Around the young man's neck was a pendant of great importance. This man is known far and wide as the most dangerous mage on the planet and has been around for hundreds of years. He is the The Black Wizard Zeref and right now he is enjoying the comforts of nature while controlling his power.

Several days ago, Zeref was hoping to see his brother while also stepping and stopping his creations from getting out of hand. But someone came along, froze him somehow and disrupted his plans. First off… who was that woman who froze him? She was no ordinary mage, hell she may not have even been human. He had his suspicions to her identity based off her magic alone but that wasn't much. Second, how did she know who he was when they were complete strangers? She knew of his identity as well as his connection to Fairy Tail. Third, just what has been happening all over Fiore and even in other areas of the world with the weird magic activity? Seismic events, strong winds that are too high to be normal, unusual high tides and the list goes on after that. Not only that, the magic in the air felt different than before and it started to feel that way on the day he went to confront his demons. It just didn't add up. And lastly… what were multiple dragons doing back? Being well versed in the magic arts, he knew what Igneel and the others had done in order for them to heal their souls. It was rather clever but cruel in a sense. But it wasn't like he was any better. Back to the matter at hand though, Zeref was intrigued at the dragons timely arrival, including that of Acnologia. However, there was a new dragon out there that gave him pause. This dragon dwarfed Acnologia in size and in power. The Black mage initially suspected it might have been the rumored Five Dragon Gods that were usually spotted stomping around the Northern continent but he dismissed that notion quickly. The dragon he almost came in contact with, the one that drove Acnologia off, may have had a connection with that strange woman who froze him.

While sifting through his thoughts he felt a presence… a warmth that he hadn't sensed in quite some time.

"I knew you would come. It's been far too long…" Zeref softly began.

He stood and turned to find the one person he could love just as much as his own family.

"Mavis…"

It was the First master of Fairy Tail Mavis Vermillion, standing (floating) in the clearing several feet away. Her name was so sweet like the different candies he's had in all the years he's walked this world. Zeref walked over to only to be stopped by her cold tone.

"Are you satisfied Zeref?"

The warm smile he wore then turned into a neutral frown. She was glaring daggers at him and that shine in her emerald eyes showed she meant business.

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously.

She narrowed her eyes and unleashed a bit of magic. Even though this wasn't her real body she could still do some things that were well within her power. Zeref honestly found how cute it was that she was pissed. It just made him wonder why though.

"Your creations terrorized the people of this kingdom." Mavis started icily.

So that's what it was. Funny how she's bringing this up now. They had known each other how long again? Honestly, she should have expected this to happen.

"Those demons killed innocent people, destroyed countless homes in different towns, nearly took magic away from this land and above all else…"

Ah yes… that. For a man that has lived in near misery for 400+ years death didn't bother him anymore. He had very few things in his life to hold onto right now and in all honesty… he didn't care for his fellow man as much as he used to. Was he ashamed to an extent? Maybe. But he had other things to worry about.

"Members of my family simply vanished without a trace and part of that was thanks to your pet." She spat in disgust.

Like the fact his soulmate was getting pissy with him and she had every right to. However, though he loved her he didn't like the way she talked to him. So if she wanted to play magic tug-of-war, then he would play. His onyx eyes turned red and glowed as he let off some of his magic, killing the grass and bugs within a few feet of him.

"Watch your tone Mavis." He warned calmly.

They engaged in an intense stare down for several moments with their magic power flaring, slightly alerting the wildlife. Mavis ultimately backed down but not without glaring a bit harder. To this Zeref calmed down and chuckled at how his lover was acting.

"He is my brother you know? Have faith and patience that he will return. And no doubt he will be stronger than ever." Zeref stated with a glint in his eyes.

Mavis knew of Zeref's plight and of his past. She knew how much his brother meant to him in his ultimate scheme of things. It was a tragic destiny she was still hoping to avoid. And given that Zeref's little brother was missing, maybe even dead she wondered… what was going to happen now?

"And what if they don't come back?" Mavis questioned.

Zeref thought about it for a moment… he had an idea of where the missing mages from that night had gone. And if his theory were true, by some odd miracle they ended up in another world entirely. Hopefully it would be one with magic and the supernatural.

"Then the time will come for the world to start over." He said with an ominous smile.

The Black Wizard decided now was a time to take his leave. When he wasn't busy being a mage… he was busy leading his own country. As he turned his back to the once known love of his life and walked into the deeper but not before leaving a farewell.

"Farewell for now… Mavis."

And just like that, Zeref left her behind again. Mavis had prayed that one day Zeref's soul could be saved from the darkness that had taken him so long ago. Her face softened from scowling at him to longing for him. She looked to the sky with a sad smile reminiscing on the past and the memories she made with him. The First Master honestly wondered if they could ever just go back to those days once more…

* * *

 **Magnolia**

 **Fairy Tail Guild Hall (Construction Site)**

In the days following Tartaros' attack and subsequent defeat, life was never the same for the people of Magnolia. The very same could be said for Fairy Tail.

When Tartaros had orchestrated an ambush, they had lost their guild hall. Of course buildings could be replaced. But later they learned that people can't be. Despite successfully invading Tartaros' HQ, crashing it, then proceeding to defeat each member of the demon gates… they still suffered casualties. And the worst part was not knowing whether the missing were dead or alive.

So every member searched… and they searched… until they found only a corpse belonging to that of their enemy. The reactions across the board were pure agony.

Lucy Heartfillia and Levy McGarden were near inconsolable at the loss of their Dragon Slayer mates. So inconsolable, that they had to be subdued and knocked out using sleeping spells. Since then they've have been shut-ins and had frequent visits from the other female members of the guild. Lisanna took charge and spent time helping Lucy heal while Laki and Kinana tended to Levy. Progress was made but they knew that healing lonely and broken hearts weren't easy.

Juvia Lockser had a near panic attack before fainting once she heard the news about her crush and her close friend disappearing without a trace. She woke up the next day only for the others to realize she had become a mute. The Water mage never made a sound since waking back up and Mirajane tasked Cana with being her caretaker. Many members of the guild were skeptical the resident drunk and expert Card mage could be of any help. But they were proven wrong when she exceeded their low expectations of her. Juvia still never spoke a word but she did make sounds finally if she ever needed anything. It was progress but she was still in a deep rut of sadness mixed with depression. And maybe the good that came out of this was that Cana never left her side.

When Erza learned of the missing mages… it was a tough pill to swallow. It was even harder when she had to break the news to friends and loved ones that were close to the missing.

Chelia of Lamia Scale was good friends with Wendy and once she heard that the Sky Maiden was gone… she quietly excused herself to cry alone. It was bad enough that her cousin Sherry wasn't so much an active mage anymore, which meant she wasn't around the guild a lot. It was even worse knowing she likely wasn't going to get visits from mages her age who shared common interests with her. In the short time she spent with Wendy… it was a bit indescribable how close they had grown. Was it something to do with how similar their magics were? Was it the fact they were roughly in the same age group almost? Regardless of the questions the fact was… Chelia missed Wendy dearly and she had no idea if her good friend was alive or dead.

After bringing Minerva back to Sabertooth, Erza did her best to help break the news to Yukino and the other members of that particular guild. Minerva had a hard time coming to grips with the situation because she aided the search team that accompanied Makarov. Although the Twin Dragons were not confirmed alive or dead, not having them in Earth Land hurt Minerva because for the first time in her life she felt welcomed and wanted. For Yukino… it hurt to no longer have her mate and Master around. So every single member of Sabertooth rallied around her and Minerva before nominating Yukino to take over as master of the guild. Minerva was the most vocal supporter now that she had been officially welcomed back with open arms and even offered to be Yukino's second in command… she agreed to it.

So now…

Fairy Tail and the citizens of Magnolia were going through a town-wide repair, renovation and rebuilding process that was right on track. Shops and landmarks were immediately repaired. Residential areas were renovated and improved not only in quality but also in reliability. And what about Fairy Tail?

Well… Fairy Tail had two buildings to work with. The first building was their interim guild hall, a barn located in the hills. This somewhat sizable barn acted as Fairy Tail's guild hall due to financing issues for several years after the X784 Tenrou incident. The Second Guild Hall was converted to a small shop and pub after the guild had reclaimed the title of #1 guild in the land and moved back to the First Guild Hall. Given they still owned the first building, they repaired minor damages from the attack a few days prior and were in the process of expansion so the guild could draw in more patrons.

And what was the fate of the First Guild Hall? Given that it was destroyed once again, Fairy Tail still found a way to pick up the pieces despite the heavy drop in morale. Instead of doing a new design, it was a unanimous decision to stick with the redesign from X784. This design was the same as the one the guild went with after the destruction of the guild hall at the hands of Phantom Lord in Summer/Fall of X784. The only changes that would be to the guild hall's design would be some adjustments to the size of most of the rooms.

Speaking of…

Mages and civilians were working near-round the clock and progress was good. The mages that were on site were conversing amongst themselves while either working or taking breaks if they weren't on shift helping with construction. Among the crowd were visitors from a fellow light guild: Kagura Mikazuchi and Milliana of Mermaid Heel. Both were here to check on a mage that was like their sister… Erza Scarlet.

All three were huddled at the makeshift bar manned by Mirajane Strauss.

"How are things Erza?"

Re-quipped in a pair of work overalls, boots and a tank top, Erza sipped on some water while having a towel wrapped around her neck.

"Good, all things considering." Erza replied with a small smile.

Kagura gave a nod in response while noticing that Milliana was conversing and making small talk with Mira. The cat-girl was upset at the fact that good friends along with her favorite kitties were gone at first but she slowly came out of a funk. Didn't mean she didn't miss them because she did.

For Kagura, she had developed decent friendships with mostly female members of the other guilds and that included Yukino of Sabertooth. She too was saddened at the fate of the brave mages who had gone missing during the fight against Tartaros. To be quite frank, due to some sexism amongst the magic community, Kagura never saw many men as her equal or even her superior. This year's Grand Magic Games gave her a new perspective and she started to respect male mages a bit more. Yes, there were obviously the rotten lot that had no business being in a light guild due to their questionable morals but there those who were great role models and showed the common man what it means to be a mage. Natsu of course stood at the top of that list with his inspiring speech on Day 2 of the games and then followed it up with a dazzling performance against the Twin Dragons on Day 4. Speaking of Twin Dragons… Kagura was able to catch up with the one known as Rogue on the night of the celebration at the palace. They had met by accident discussing how good the food and drink was that night. Small talk then led to the topic of swords. Rogue admitted his was more for show and that he never had a chance to practice with one much. It's fair to say after that Kagura was more than willing to help Rogue in sword mastery if he had the time between jobs or was anywhere close to Mermaid Heel. He agreed and the two began a correspondence. It was a bit disheartening to Kagura to know they wouldn't get a chance to do that. Nevertheless she pressed on…

"That's good. I know it hasn't been easy given what happened, but know that we are here for you." Kagura said with a smile.

The swordswoman placed a hand on the redhead knight's shoulder which was greatly appreciated.

"Thank you Kagura. That means the world to me."

"Of course."

The two would continue to make small talk as Erza helped direct workers on the site. Sadly, Milliana and Kagura had to head back to their guild. Erza bade them a heartfelt goodbye with the promise they would visit again, which they said they would.

Nearby, away from prying eyes and nosy ears of the busy bodies were two individuals. The first was Makarov Dreyar. The Second…

"Need something old man?" a gruff voice asked.

Was Laxus Dreyar, Second Generation Dragon Slayer and still recovering from the Tartaros incident due to the injuries he suffered as well as his… condition.

Makarov was looking out at Lake Sciliora, thinking back on the old days while also contemplating both the now and everything possible in the future. The last few days were trying but he had put his affairs in order and now was the time to enact his grand plan of sorts. He just hoped it wouldn't backfire.

"How long has it been my boy?"

Laxus looked at his grandfather's back with a confused look.

"Since what?" Laxus questioned back.

Makarov made no moves to look back, he simply looked out at the beautiful, sparkling lake in front of him.

"Since the Battle for Fairy Tail…"

Laxus immediately became uncomfortable at the mention of 'that' incident.

The Battle of Fairy Tail was Laxus' scheme at seizing the reins and becoming master of Fairy Tail through a battle royal that encompassed all of Magnolia. He was going through a bit of a phase where he was a bit too rebellious and a bit too arrogant for the standard mage. The Lightning Dragon Slayer was ashamed at the fact he acted like that, even more so he hurt a lot of people through his team the Thunder Legion. Still, he learned his lesson that day… and still got excommunicated from the guild. Fortunately enough he was able to come back.

"That wasn't exactly my best moment Gramps… you know that right?" Laxus replied lowly.

The elderly man turned his body to the side and gave Laxus his best comforting smile. He had hoped banishing him from the guild would give him a chance to repent for his mistakes and grow a little more. Coming back was also good for him because to Makarov it really did seem like his grandson did turn the corner and change for the better.

"I know my boy. Which is why today I want to talk to you… about the future."

Laxus was still in recovery from the Tartaros incident physically, mentally and emotionally. He was stubborn when it came to recovery like all other Dragon Slayers. Of course he took the news of missing mages hard, especially when his fellow slayers were the ones that were now gone. Mira had done her best to help him heal and he took her help fully but it was slow progress.

Now, his grandfather calls him to talk and the way he was talking had him nervous.

"Gramps? What's going on?" Laxus asked warily.

The conversation that was to come was going to impact a lot people going forward. But Makarov needed to do this. He wasn't going to put his children in needless danger. Luckily, the First Master had talked him out of his first plan involving the guild. With her excellent planning, he was able to now put in place a plan that could keep this guild together and safe. But it was not without cost…

* * *

 **Several Days Prior (Hours after Tartaros was Defeated)**

 **Unknown Location**

Somewhere beyond the portal that appeared in the wake of Tartaros' downfall, were several beings of interest. Now how they ended up in this odd location was rather… unpleasant.

After entering the portal the Slayers and the Exceeds were subjected to what the cool kids would call an acid trip. They flew threw a light tunnel at speeds not thought possible while subjected to things that overloaded their senses to a point they went unconscious. The Dragons fared a bit better but the experience was also torture on their senses, so staying conscious was difficult.

When the Dragons made it to the other side, they along with the Slayers and Exceeds had separated into different locations due to some mishap coming out of the portal. That wasn't the only strange part of this impromptu trip they collectively made. The next strangest thing the Dragons saw at least was the new world they appeared in, if they could even call it that.

The place they were in was a void where everywhere there was a wide range of iridescent colors. This void was filled with debris, small islands, buildings, roads and bridges.

On a small island that had an inactive mini volcano…

"Zzzzzz…"

Was Igneel the Fire Dragon King, Natsu Dragneel, Happy, and Gray Fullbuster with the latter three being unconscious. Natsu especially being that he was snoring with a dumb smile on his face.

( _"Strange… where exactly are we?"_ ) Igneel mused as he looked around.

Igneel was gigantic in nature, his bodily majority is covered with dark red scales. His lower body, mainly his stomach, inner portions of his tail and legs were beige colored. The Fire Dragon King had several scars of interest: some on his neck, some on his stomach, an x-shaped one on the center of his body, a diagonal scar across his right eye and another x-shaped scar that was located on the upper portion of his mouth. He had a triangular head with horns, his round eyes had a yellow sclera and dark round pupils. Igneel's wings were large and bony like a bat's with rippled tips.

Taking in the strange scenery, Igneel looked down to the sleeping forms of his adopted son Natsu and Nastu's companions Happy and Gray.

( _"Well, I better wake them up. There's no telling what will happen to us now that we're stuck in the middle of nowhere."_ )

He sat on his hind legs and crossed his arms. Given they were in the middle of nowhere and separated from the others, he was thinking of how to find a way out of this mess. Luckily, time was on his side given that interesting experience in the light tunnel fueled his magic greatly… he just hoped it would be enough for now.

Igneel focused his gaze on his adopted son and the used one of his digits to gently prod Natsu in the stomach. The Fire Dragon King knew not to put too much strength into his dragon digit trying to wake his son up, lest he accidentally want to poke a good size hole in him and that would be bad.

"Time to wake up Natsu." He rumbled.

It seemed his gentle prodding was actually tickling the salmon haired teen a little. The young Dragon Slayer squirmed a bit while laughing lightly, a bit of drool hanging off the corner of his mouth.

"Five more minutes Lucy…" Natsu mumbled with a dopey smile.

Natsu's adoptive dad looked at him with a slightly surprised look but then again it shouldn't have been a mystery as to why Natsu would react that way. He schooled his features before a slight grin cam showing his razor sharp teeth.

( _"He's thinking of his mate… how cute."_ ) Igneel snorted in amusement.

Igneel was very well aware of who Natsu's first mate was. He was proud that the dense knucklehead finally understood the meaning of love and romance. Of course he wished his son luck in the future problems that lies with adopting the customs of dragons… attracting possible mates with his dragon aura.

( _"But now is not the time for that. Looks like I'll have to do this the hard way."_ )

He sighed and took a deep breath, readying himself for what he was about to do.

"WAKE UP YOU DAMN BRAT!"

That got their attention. And it was humorous to see their collective reactions.

"I didn't do it! It was Gajeel's fault I swear!"

"What's going on?!"

"Aw crap! I'm late!"

Natsu ran around freaking out like that time he saw two Erzas fighting each other…

Happy was flying in circles while sputtering nonsense about not having enough fish…

Gray was losing his cool over something mundane…

To Igneel the scene was hilarious and he would have been laughing… if not for the fact he was getting too old for this shit. He sighed and had the urge to face palm at the sheer idiocy the mages and Exceed were displaying.

"Ahem." The Dragon coughed out.

The group of three stopped and looked at Igneel before looking at each other. They shared nervous laughs before straightening themselves out and approaching the Fire Dragon.

"Um… hey Igneel." Natsu greeted with a sheepish smile.

"Hello Natsu. Good to see you and your comrades are awake."

The Fire Dragon King turned his gaze away from his son to his son's companions. It was a truly awesome moment for Natsu because he had a chance to finally introduce his dad to his friends or at least some of them at the moment.

"So you're Igneel…" Gray stated in slight awe.

Igneel grinned a wild grin and nodded his head with pride.

"That I am and you must be Natsu's rival and good friend Gray Fullbuster, correct?"

Gray gave his usual cool smirk and nodded. Then Igneel looked over at the other member of their group, a small fur ball who took his place on Natsu's shoulder.

"And you little one must be Happy, my boy's trusty companion and best friend right?"

"Aye sir!" Happy beamed with a wide smile.

Igneel let out a hearty chuckle at that. He had watched over Natsu since July 7, X777 and he knew very well who the two were… he just never expected to meet them so soon, even at all for that matter.

"So Igneel…"

"Hm?"

"Where are we?" Natsu asked.

And there was the million jewel question…

Igneel still had no clue where they were. In his time alive, Igneel had learned many things when it came to magic. Dragons with their incredibly long lifespans had the luxury to attain as much knowledge as they possibly sought. But this place was a mystery to him. He looked around again before closing his eyes and tilting his head forward.

"That… I do not know." He sighed out.

Gray stuck his hands in his pockets and Natsu crossed his arms, both looked dismayed at this news.

"But what I do know is that we need to find the others. My fellow dragons followed me in here after you and your friends were taken into the portal."

This got them to perk up a bit. If the others were here then it was probably best to find them, regroup, form a good plan and find a way home. But it made them think about how they got here in the first place.

"Guess that makes sense. Whatever that bastard Mard Geer did must have brought us here." Natsu reasoned with a frown.

"Right. But exactly where is here?" Gray chimed in.

"Time for another adventure right Natsu?" Happy prompted excitedly.

To that, Natsu gave his partner a grin and Gray smiled before shaking his head in amusement. They didn't have time to worry or be sad because they were in a new place. A new place meant a new opportunity for adventure. And if there was an adventure that was to be had, Natsu would go through with it.

Igneel once again grinned before his voice rumbled a request, more like a command they couldn't refuse.

"Climb on."

Moments later the trio of Natsu, Gray and Happy were riding on Igneel's back as he soared through the expanse. Oddly enough the strange new world, if they could call it that, reminded them of Edolas in a sense. But unlike Edolas the rivers weren't floating and there were clearly no living creatures present. Eerily enough, not many sounds could be heard other than their breathing and the beat of Igneel's wings in flight.

"Hey Dad…"

The big red dragon inclined his head slightly to look back at Natsu.

"Yes son?"

Hearing that brought a big smile to Natsu's face. He had finally found his dad and was riding on his back like the old days. Although they were in a bit of a pinch he was happy to at least have his dad back.

"I got some questions… you said you would give me answers. Right?" Natsu asked a bit eagerly.

Igneel remembered he said that before… guess since they had the time he could follow through on that promise. But he was dreading the aftermath of what happens when Natsu and his companions learned the truth. He especially feared what Gray's reaction might be once Natsu's origin came to light.

"Fair enough. I owe you that much. But only once we've regrouped. Your fellow Dragon Slayers have earned answers just as much as you have." He rumbled in response.

Guess that made sense. Since the other dragons were here it would only be fair everyone get answers. It made the young Dragon Slayer wonder if their disappearances really were connected.

"Okay." Natsu replied.

Then the comfortable silence returned as Igneel kept his focus solely on flying. They had been flying for roughly 15 or 20 minutes at best. It made the group wonder just how it was possible for them to be this split up so far apart from the others. At least they had interesting scenery to look at as they flew. Some of the architecture of the buildings that were floating around looked similar to the buildings they saw in their missions and adventures. Other buildings had architecture they had never seen before and they all looked so… foreign. There buildings floating out there that were sleek, modern in design and the group surmised that the buildings had somehow ended up in this void from another world. It would make sense when they thought about it. It was pretty amazing to think there other worlds out there other than the parallel world Edolas that shared a connection to their world. Natsu was all in favor of going to see other worlds but shot the idea down due to the risks involved.

He turned around from his position and eyed his silent rival. There was something on his mind he meant to ask about before.

"Hey Gray."

The Ice mage stopped staring at his right arm and looked up.

"What's up?"

Natsu's brows furrowed as he crossed his arms. Happy, who was sitting by Natsu's side, turned so he could join in on the conversation or at least listen to it.

"What the hell happened back there?"

It wasn't an accusatory tone he was taking with Gray, it was more along the lines of interrogative. Gray furrowed his brows, hoping Natsu wasn't trying to ask about that fight he had before coming to the Dragon Slayer's aid.

"What do you mean?" Gray asked narrowing his eyes.

"First there was that guy with the armor and he smelled just like you. Next thing I know you come back all badass with that mark on your arm. What gives?" Natsu questioned in slight exasperation.

Gray looked at him for a moment before looking back at his arm and moving it around. He channeled his magic into it and the tribal markings of the Devil Slayer appeared.

"Gray?" Happy chimed in.

Natsu eyed the mark and for some reason got some odd vibes from it. It was strong, he knew that for a fact. But oddly enough he felt like that mark on Gray's arm could do some serious damage if he got on his rival's bad side. Gray dismissed the mark and looked back at the duo in front of him.

"All you need to know for now is that I got a new power. I can't control it just yet but it's one helluva boost I can tell you that much. As for that guy you mentioned…"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. To be honest he could use a drink right now.

"Let's just say I knew him. I'll tell you and everyone else when I'm ready alright?"

Natsu just chuckled and Happy gave the Ice mage a smile. Gray pretty much was the reason Natsu had a chance against Mard Geer to begin with. If his rival was withholding information due to how personal it was, he wouldn't mind not knowing for a little longer.

"Sure man. I owe you that much."

"Damn right you do." Gray said with a smirk.

"Shaddup." Natsu lazily shot back with a grin.

The trio shared a laugh on Igneel's back while the Fire Dragon King pressed on in his flight path. He was maximizing the use of his senses in tracking the other Slayers and their Dragons (along with the Exceeds).

( _"For once those two aren't arguing… wonder how long that will last."_ )

Igneel allowed himself a smile as he continued to track the others down. The more he looked around, the more some of his theories started to make sense. Whatever they stumbled into wasn't another world by any means. But this place had connections to other worlds due to the remnants left behind. Only question was where were all the exits?

"Anyways, what do you think everyone else is up to? At least now that the fighting is over and all…" Natsu thought aloud.

Gray rubbed his chin in thought. He figured someone might have come along and beat Mard Geer while they were gone… but that was a bit difficult to believe. His Devil Slayer magic was the best weapon against the demon lord yet he couldn't land the finishing blow, even with Natsu's help.

"Good question."

Gray immediately thought back to the other threat and figured now would be a good time to ask if he was dealt with.

"Hey Igneel!" Gray shouted.

"Yes Gray?" Igneel responded without looking back.

"Whatever happened between you and Acnologia? Did you win?"

"Of course he won! That's the Fire Dragon King you're talking to man. Give him some credit." Natsu commented with pride.

Igneel's head dipped a little before he sighed. The three on his back caught his reaction and were a bit surprised.

"Actually no."

…

…

"HUH?!"

Igneel winced at their reaction. He honestly should have seen that one coming.

"What do you mean no?! I thought you said you could handle it! Don't tell me you turned tail and ran?!" Natsu criticized.

"For your information Natsu our fight was interrupted." Igneel growled.

All three were on edge but calmed down a little waiting for an explanation.

"You see, towards the end of your fight with Mard Geer a storm had come in completely blanketing our battlefield. This storm carried an unusual amount of magic which made me believe it belonged to a powerful mage. But I was wrong." Igneel explained.

Natsu and Gray immediately thought back to the fight and even they remembered the odd magic in the air. Natsu's dragon senses went haywire when the storm made its approach but there was something else. A tingle earlier in his fight had alerted him to something powerful within the storm and not just the storm itself.

"Not only that, the storm was being used as something akin to a smokescreen. And that's when I saw it or to be precise him."

Was it a mage or was it something else like…

"Who?" Happy questioned.

Igneel considered his words for a moment. This wasn't going to be easy news for Natsu to hear. Given the creature he encountered, Igneel thanked his long deceased clan of fellow fire dragons for his string of luck both good and bad.

"A dragon. A powerful one that dwarfs Acnologia and myself. Hell I wouldn't even doubt that he has enough power that eclipses all the other dragons combined."

Natsu, Gray and Happy went wide-eyed at that revelation. Another dragon? The possible scenario of leaving a dragon behind unattended back home was rather frightening.

"So there's another one out there…" Natsu murmured in shock.

"Yes but he isn't pure evil like Acnologia." Igneel assured.

The trio sighed in relief. At least there was some good news in all this mess.

"What do you think he wanted then?" Natsu asked.

"I say we save that for later. We have to inform the others and discuss it, then and only then can we draw a reasonable conclusion."

"Got it. At least there's some good news that came out of this." Natsu said with a nod.

"Which is?" Gray asked with a raised brow.

"Our friends are probably just fine. Acnologia is either dead or ran off with his tail between his legs. Either way we won."

Gray's eyes widened in surprise before he schooled his expression and allowed a smirk to form. He looked over to Happy who was a bit more energetic than before.

"Yeah you're right!" Happy exclaimed with a smile.

Damn right he was right. Acnologia was likely gone and Mard Geer was too in all likelihood. But then Gray came to another realization making his smirk drop.

"But they don't know if we're alive though…" Gray trailed off with a frown.

Natsu laid on his back and folded his hands behind his head.

"Well… way I see it. We'll just have to find a way back." He said with a confident smile.

Gray smiled and shook his head. Who was he kidding? Of course they would find a way back. They didn't come so far in such a short amount of time for it to simply end here, stranded in this place.

"Yeah."

"Besides, I know you wanna get back to Juvia as soon as possible you sly dog." Natsu commented with a sly grin.

The Ice mage immediately sputtered a response while blushing. Happy's snickering didn't help either.

"You liiiiiike her~!" Happy drawled out.

"Shut it you two!"

The duo laughed at Gray's expense while Igneel couldn't help but sweat drop and sigh. In all his years of being around humans and being within Natsu's soul, they sure were weird creatures but then again who was he to judge? He was a literal giant fire breathing lizard that was sometimes made out to be the stuff of nightmares. Damn he hated stereotypes…

"But I'm happy for ya Frosty, for real."

"Thanks." Gray grumbled.

The fire and ice duo would banter back and forth while Happy watched on. After several more minutes, Igneel looked down and spotted what looked to be the ruins of a large colosseum. On the colosseum grounds were four large dragons of different color accompanied by four humans and four furry cats.

( _"Found them."_ )

"Heads up boys!"

Natsu, Gray and Happy peeked over Igneel's shoulder and after squinting really hard they were able to make out the dragons along with their friends.

"Hey it's Wendy and the others! They're okay!" Natsu exclaimed with a wide smile.

"Aye!" Happy seconded.

Igneel grinned as he prepped himself for something he hasn't done since Natsu was a young boy.

"Coming in for a landing. Hold on!"

Natsu hasn't felt this giddy in a long time… he knew what Igneel was about to do. Happy jumped on Natsu's back and held on for dear life as Igneel did a corkscrew maneuver before performing a dive. Gray looked panicked while Natsu and Happy were screaming happily enjoying the ride. After several exciting seconds for Natsu and Happy along with several terrifying seconds for Gray, Igneel hovered above the ground floor before slowly setting down on all fours. The Fire Dragon King lowered his body and the boys promptly slid off before strolling over to where their friends were.

"Natsu! Gray!"

The two mages in question were quickly tackled and almost knocked off their feet by their teammate Wendy Marvell… and this time she was sporting a different haircut than before. It honestly looked good on her.

Anyways she had one arm wrapped around each of them as she was crying tears of happiness. Natsu ruffled the young girl's hair while Gray patted rubbed her back and neither boys could help the warm smiles that graced their faces. They had missed their favorite healer and little sister so they didn't mind being big softies for a moment.

"Hey Wendy." Natsu greeted softly.

"Miss us that much?" Gray teased good-heartedly.

Soon the trio of Gajeel, Sting and Rogue joined in. The Twin Dragons had regained consciousness thanks to both of their dragons as well as their Exceed partners. They too were happy to see that their friends were safe and sound. Gajeel watched on with a smile that didn't get lost on his fellow Slayer and rival. Natsu of course didn't comment on it because he kind of wanted to savor the moment he, Wendy and even the 'Ice princess' were having.

While the Slayers were catching up, the Exceeds had their own little reunion as Happy conversed with the group.

"I'm glad you're alright Tomcat." Carla said with a warm smile.

Panther Lily crossed his arms and gave a nod while smiling. The former soldier of Edolas was an Exceed of few words at times, all too much like his partner. But everyone knew that Lily had a big heart and great fighting spirit. When in doubt, if you needed some extra muscle, look to Panther Lily to assist.

"Great to see ya buddy!" Lector greeted with a wave and a smile.

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch exclaimed happily.

Happy couldn't help but blush slightly and rub the back of his head. He isn't used to this much attention, you would think that he nearly died or something? Oh right… he did nearly do just that when Jackal attacked a former Magic Council member. Luckily he survived but he hated seeing Carla cry even if it were tears of happiness after he survived what should have been a fatal explosion. The two hugged it out before she lightly scolded him for being too reckless like his partner and then proceeding to tell him how worried she was. And she didn't forget to mention that she was extremely happy that he was safe. Looks like the little blue guy still had a shot with her after all!

"Aw shucks guys." Happy said bashfully.

The last reunion was with the majestic beasts that were among the last of their kind. Igneel strolled over as he looked at each of his fellow dragons who were good friends of his for a while now. He and one of his human friends had come to each of them with the plan to finally destroy Acnologia… and although reluctant they agreed to take part in it. In all honesty he couldn't believe all that work led to this.

"Looks like everyone is here." Igneel mused aloud.

The Fire Dragon King took a head count of who all was present, he hadn't seen his comrades in a long time.

The first was a female dragon whose appearance differed from the rest of her race from a traditional sense. She had a white body, which looked to be covered in bird feathers and not scales. Her feet looked a lot like bird talons too. Her head is covered in fur and her skul was structured to be broad and flat. This dragon was the Sky Dragon Grandeeney and she was Wendy's adoptive mom.

"Good to see you again Igneel." She greeted warmly.

The second was a male dragon covered completely in silver, iron scales. From one's perspective, it would look like this dragon was covered in armor with his shins, knees, forearms, claws and thighs being plated. His head was a near square and his lower jaw appeared to be hinged. Uniquely, unlike other dragons this one's wings do not retract or fold they simply jut out. Running down the dragon's spine were spiked metal plates. This dragon was the Iron Dragon Metalicana and he was Gajeel's adoptive dad.

"Iggy." He grunted.

The third was a male dragon that looked holy almost. He was a snow white colored, gigantic, bearded dragon with angel wings and two small antlers protruding from the top of his head. Other than his underbelly, face and spine the majority of his body does have thick scales. This dragon was the White Dragon Weisslogia and he was Sting's adoptive dad.

"Greetings old friend." He rumbled.

And the fourth was a male dragon that was the complete opposite of Weisslogia in terms of appearance. He had pitch black scales on his body, two sharp horns atop his head and a small pointed beard of shadows on his chin. Speaking of shadows… an interesting note was that the dragon's mane and wings were also made of shadows. This dragon was the Shadow Dragon Skiadrum and he was Rogue's adoptive dad.

"Hello Igneel." He said.

The Fire Dragon King smiled with pride and gave each of his dragon comrades a nod. They weren't members of his long deceased tribe of Fire Dragons but he regarded each of them as close friends and at one point came close to calling them family. They had come so far in such a good amount of time; it was hard to think their journey would ever end. But now was not the time to dwell on the negatives. He and the other dragons looked on with small smiles as their adopted children and their partners conversed amongst one another. They would have made for small talk as well but remembered they had something important to do.

"Everyone listen up!" Igneel boomed.

The Slayers and Exceeds stopped talking amongst themselves and walked over in front of the dragons.

"My fellow dragons and I are proud of you, including the non-Dragon Slayer among us."

Gray got a friendly elbow to the side courtesy of Gajeel while the other Slayers glance at him with smiles of respect. They were happy to have someone like Gray with them and also proud of how hard Gray had fought in the battles they had against Tartaros. However if you were members of Fairy Tail, you trusted the Ice mage whole heartedly and were more than happy to watch his back because he would watch theirs without hesitance.

"Now I know that each of you have questions for us. And given we got some time, we will be more happy to answer them." He continued.

Everyone adopted faces of determination, even Wendy and Gray. The Dragon Slayers honestly wanted to know what happened back on July 7, X777 and why their dragon parents had been gone for so long and without a trace. The Exceeds were in the same boat as the Dragon Slayers while Gray figured he could support his friends as best he could while also hoping to help in a plan to escape whatever this place was that they were in.

"So which of you would like to go first?" Igneel offered.

"That would be me." A feminine voice announced.

The Dragons perked their heads up while the Slayers and Exceeds turned around, putting themselves on alert against possible enemies. That was… until they got a good look at the new visitors. The visitors were three women… a brunette in dark colored robes, a blonde in a strange dress with sandals and a cloak and a gorgeous redhead in what resembled a witch's garb. What really got everyone's attention was how much the blonde and redhead resembled close friends they were pretty sure were back in Earth Land right now.

"That's… impossible…" Rogue muttered stunned.

Frosch stood alongside the Shadow Dragon Slayer in a little mixture of stun and confusion, more so on the latter. To both of them it didn't make sense for either of those women to be here let alone look like their friends. Wendy and Carla shared the same thought…

"She looks just like Erza!" Wendy exclaimed in shock.

"N-No way!" Carla commented similarly.

The redheaded woman looks so eerily similar Erza it wasn't even funny… it was the gods poor attempt at humor. It was the definition of a sick joke and the icing on the cake was this woman was powerful. Too powerful… something that did not go unnoticed by Gajeel and his black furred partner…

"Holy shit…" Gajeel murmured slack jawed.

"What in the world?!" Lily said with an anxious expression.

If she were an enemy they were screwed. But the other two women threw them off too. One was an unknown who had so much magic in her their senses were starting to go haywire like before. The other… made everyone do a double take just like they did with the Erza lookalike. Sting and Lector honestly had to say it at one point just to be safe…

"Sting?" Lector questioned.

"I'm seeing it too buddy. I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around this." Sting stated nervously.

There was no way it was her. She was safe in Earth Land with the rest of the guild. She had her spirits with her too so there was no way she was here… so why is it the gods had to once again make a poor attempt at a joke? Gray eyes were the size of pinpricks and he couldn't help but just stand there near motionless…

"Whoa…" He murmured

The blonde's familiarity didn't get lost on two individuals in particular… Natsu and Happy…

"Nastu… she looks a lot like…" Happy began.

And then he saw it… her smile… the smile of a Heartfillia, filled with so much warmth it was like warm milk to straight to the stomach.

"Lucy…" Natsu muttered in a hushed tone.

Silence then fell over as everyone had to process the arrival of the three mystery women. The Slayers felt many things, confusion and fear being the primary emotions. So many questions were swirling around in their head and their anxiety was starting to spike. The redhead and brunette had incredibly high magic auras and it was even worse the redhead had a similar smell to Acnologia and their dragons. What the hell was she exactly? She looked like Erza, had the appearance of a human yet her presence was too similar to that of a dragon.

"Well now, this is awkward." The redhead stated with a humorous tone.

Awkward would be the understatement of the year for everyone in whatever world they were in.

"But I guess introductions are in order."

No shit. The Slayers wanted names and then some. The Dragons on the other hand sat by calmly as they merely wanted to observe these three new additions to their group. The redhead took initiative and stepped forward.

"My name is Irene Beslserion, citizen of the Alvarez Empire and a mage like all of you." She greeted with a curt bow and a small smile.

Confusion… the Alvarez Empire? In their daily lives, none of the Slayers had heard of a nation of that name, let alone an empire. But this redhead was a citizen and a mage so was she in a guild like them too? Their thoughts transitioned to the blonde who took a step forward and gazed at the dragons and Dragon Slayers with warmth in her eyes.

"My name is Anna Heartfillia. Truth be told it's been far too long since I've seen all of you." She said with a warm smile.

Heartfillia… there was no mistake about it. This Anna woman was definitely related to their friend Lucy but that couldn't be… could it? Lucy's mom Layla passed away the same year the Dragon Slayer's adoptive parents disappeared and Lucy's dad Jude died shortly before the Tenrou group returned in X791. So was she some long lost aunt? A youthful grandmother perhaps? Whatever the theory was would have to wait as the brunette stepped forward this time but instead of an introduction, the Slayers received something else.

"If you would like answers we shall explain on the way. I promise all will be revealed in due time." The brunette stated with a smile.

Natsu was restless… he wanted answers so bad and it was killing him to wait even longer. But if this brunette and the dragons had answers, he was willing to wait a little longer. The salmon haired teen turned and not surprisingly all eyes were on him. They must've expected some sort of outburst out of him and he didn't blame them. Out of everyone here he was the one who wanted answers the most so it was only right whatever decisions would fall on him. He sighed before running a hand through his hair.

"I guess that works for me. What about you guys?" He prompted.

Wendy, Gajeel and the Twin Dragons gave a nod of confirmation. Natsu looked over to the Exceeds and Happy gave a nod for the group. Last was Gray because honestly Natsu knew the Dragons were already on board with the idea mainly because they were silent the whole time.

"I'm cool with it." Gajeel said with a shrug.

Natsu hummed before turning towards the three women and giving them a nod. The brunette's warm smile widened and the redhead gave an approving 'hmph'.

"Good. Let's get going. We have a lot to talk about." Anna said with a serious expression.

They all started walking, while the dragons took slow strides at Igneel's silent command.

"Before we go…" Gray spoke up.

The group stopped with most everyone glancing over their shoulders at Gray, only the brunette took the time to turn her body almost completely around.

"Who are you?"

The question of course was directed towards the unnamed brunette. Everyone looked to her and waited expectantly for her to properly introduce herself like her companions.

"Apologies for my rudeness young Fullbuster, it nearly slipped my mind." The brunette said with a bow.

That was a slight lie. She just didn't want to do an introduction so to save herself from a multitude of questions being directed her way later. When she came back up from her bow, she felt a sudden intensity in the air… ah. They must have found out she brought the book with her. Dealing with Mard Geer was one thing but this was going to be a totally different matter. She knew things were going to be a difficult with the fact she held the very book they were likely seeking to destroy in her hands but it didn't matter. The book had value and a person's life very well depended on it. She slowly opened her eyes that had been closed the entire time and her olive green eyes met the wide eyed stares of everyone but her two female companions. She allowed herself a brief chuckle before composing herself with a smile.

"My name is Gentiana and I am nothing but a mere messenger."

* * *

 **Omake: Mavis' Plea**

"And what if they don't come back?" Mavis questioned.

Zeref's smile dropped and his eyes flared red as he looked down at the First Master with an intense look that surprised her.

"I will destroy the world and bring chaos!" Zeref stated with deadly intensity.

Mavis tilted her head down so her eyes were shadowed. She didn't expect that sort of reaction from the Black Wizard. So now she would resort to her backup plan, one used in case of emergencies. She raised her head and looked him dead in his eyes with desperation and possibly hope.

"P-please… don't destroy it…" Mavis pleaded with wide eyes.

"…"

He knew what this was. Not again.

Mavis looked at him with puppy eyes and tears that were seemingly suspended at the corner of her eyes. And he couldn't help but note there was a sparkle around her face that gave it an angelic shine.

Zeref tried to fight it off with his war face but… he hunched over slightly and couldn't help the blush that came across his face. And just like that Zeref was puppy eyed into submission and couldn't help but utter one word…

"K… Kawaii…"

He was a sucker for cuteness, especially seeing how it came from his soulmate.

* * *

 **A/N: Surprise, surprise!**

 **That's right everyone! For those who didn't pick up on the subtle clues from the previous chapter, you weren't expecting this were you? For those who did and didn't spoil it for everyone who was trying to figure it out, high fives all around.**

 **So… I did a thing. If you don't know who Gentiana is then find a way to play Final Fantasy XV and you'll find out who she is. I didn't spill too much of her backstory in the last chapter which is good. She will likely reveal more of her story later in the story. And if she's here… who else do you think is here?**

 **You're probably wondering what happens next chapter right? I can't say. You can guess and speculate in the review section though. Lol**

 **Anyways for the recap! We got a feel for the different reactions from around the kingdom and how everyone dealt with the aftermath of the end of the Tartaros Arc. It will be a while before we revisit the world of Fairy Tail.**

 **And our Slayers have now found themselves with the dragons, Irene, Anna and of course Gentiana inside the Dimensional Gap.**

 **Oh and that conversation between Laxus and Makarov? What are your thoughts? Take as many guesses as to what was discussed between them.**

 **By the way…**

 **Should it be Sherria, Shelia, or Chelia? Hell, I always went with the latter two when brainstorming ideas and stories on my phone.**

 **I never was a fan of the guild hall design that was featured after the one year time skip. That's the reason why I went with the design they did after the original building got destroyed by Phantom Lord. Plus, the X784 rebuild had a damn pool and so much space.**

 **Oh and the Omake? That was based on a piece of artwork that I saw on Facebook. If I ever find the artist's name I will make sure to give him or her proper credit. Seriously, every time I look at that Zeref and Mavis piece I laugh. Lol he wants to destroy the world and she dissuades him with puppy eyes.**

 **Now to address the obvious…**

 **1) Why change up how the Dimensional Gap works and what it looks like (to an extent)?**

 **Well… creativity. I've seen similar concepts to the Dimensional Gap before and wanted to do something different.**

 **2) Some of you are undoubtedly concerned that the story might get watered down because of how large the main cast is. What will I do to keep it an interesting story while also making sure it doesn't get watered down by the number of characters involved?**

 **The original version of the story focuses heavily on Natsu and Gray and their struggles in the DxD-verse. I will say a majority of the focus will be on those two but the others will get a share in the spotlight that I can assure you. Plus I want to make badass fight scenes with the rest of the main cast possible for you guys' enjoyment. Guest characters will pop in every now and then just to contribute to conversation but that's about it.**

 **What about lemons, limes and smut in the story? Classified. Lol**

 **I will say this though, I'll be creative on how they're done in the story. I can't reveal too much else. And for those who skipped the last chapter for whatever reason, I did say I will involve fetishes. I still stand by that.**

 **Pairings and Harems? Like I said before… already determined and will be revealed as the story goes on. But here's the list so far:**

 **Natsu and Lucy**

 **Gray and Juvia**

 **Gajeel and Levy**

 **Sting and Yukino**

 **How the couples above came to be will be revealed as the story progresses. Romance will be of the slow burn variety. Sexual tension will be evident.**

 **As always compliments, criticisms, neutral comments, concerns and any all snarky-ness goes in the review section. Go to town on that thing!**

 **Thank you to my fellow authors, the readers and those who have come across the story as always guys. You push me to be a better author on the site and I will continue to do my best in delivering a good story.**

 **See ya later!**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys!**

 **Dealt with being sick so that wasn't fun!**

 **School sucks but I'm taking the punishment so I can graduate and be a contributing member to society… or at least continue doing so as a working man.**

 **So before we get started, let's chit-chat (or me just ramble).**

 **For the pairings reveal from the last chapter… Natsu and Gray do have harems in this story. Lucy is Natsu's main girl while Juvia is Gray's. Gajeel is paired up with only one other girl/young woman in this story because I said so. It hurt to tear him away from Levy but this will only make their relationship stronger being apart. Although they will have to have a serious discussion about letting other women into their bed but don't worry it's just one and someone I think Levy would like to meet. Now is Gajeel going to outright cheat on Levy? Hell no. But he will deal with some unforeseen circumstances concerning his Dragon side and the confusing emotions of a teenager because he isn't even 20 yet. Sting and Rogue have multi-pairings/small harems in this story. Sting will technically be in the same conundrum as Gajeel having to deal with ladies liking him but he'll tackle it more smoothly. And lastly, I've already decided who Wendy will be paired with. It was a coin toss between Romeo and Chelia/Shelia, so I'll let you guys debate about who you think I picked. Lol**

 **(Just to clarify, Natsu and Gray also share the same burden as Gajeel and Sting. Which was my plan from the start. I'm not the type of guy to make characters outright cheat on their significant others.)**

 **I'll do my best to limit going into too much detail in this story. I kind of fell victim to rambling on just a bit in the last chapter but hopefully these next few chapters won't go that way. Sadly, I doubt it. As far as plans are concerned we still have another chapter or two before the Slayers meet Issei, Rias and company. Plus I got some decent filler chapters planned out for the Slayers to meet other characters of interest as well as flashback chapters.**

 **Lastly… I promised not to bash Issei. But his two little friends might be feeling my wrath in the future. Issei and everyone else of interest from DxD will probably get some flaws pointed out as some character criticism early on but I won't bash them. In my defense Matsuda and Motohama are side characters… that's my only defense. Lol**

 **Also your criticisms are well warranted as far as the number of characters in this story and the story's general direction. Do keep in mind, there were two options I let you guys vote for in terms of the cast and I had an idea of what I wanted to do with this story. If you don't want to stick around then by all means this story isn't for you. I respect your opinion and hold no ill will towards any of you.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **The Original Authors of Slayers of DxD were (and still are) Crossover Wizard Master and** **dude932. All credit for the original intent of the story goes to them.**

 **Hiro Mashima and any related parties own Fairy Tail and any related spin-offs, sequels or products of any kind with regards to the series**

 **Ichiei Ishibumi and Miyama-Zero along with any related parties own High School DxD and any related products of any kind with regards to the series.**

 **Any characters, places and ideas used in this story do not belong to me.**

 **Music, Songs and Soundtracks featured in this story do not belong to me and are used for the readers benefit (mostly my own just because lol).**

 **Use and/or mentions of historical figures, pop culture icons, religion and religious figures in general will be in this story for purely entertainment purposes.**

* * *

 **Several hours after Tartaros' Defeat**

 **The Dimensional Gap**

 **Time of day Unknown**

As the saying goes… the hits just keep on coming.

The Slayers, the Exceeds and Dragons all took off following the trio of women into the expanse that was now identified as the Dimensional Gap.

Now there were three things that needed to be explained…

One… what exactly was the Dimensional Gap?

Two… how did Gentiana come into possession of the Book of E.N.D.?

And three… how was it Irene was able to transform into a dragon?

For the first question, Gentiana explained to everyone that the Dimensional Gap was the void that acted as a Bridgeway between worlds which also led to a simplified explanation of the Multiverse Theory. But even when simplified poor Natsu had a hard time wrapping his head around the concept of multiple worlds, let alone multiple universes. But once he was reminded of Fairy Tail's trip to Edolas he simply retorted with a slightly embarrassed 'I knew that'. Gajeel and Gray still made of fun of him at his expense which almost resulted in a fight. Luckily the dragons stepped in and quelled the small riot that would've broken out. They all knew those three boys liked to compete with each other… must've been a Slayer thing.

As for the second question, Gentiana had told them of her brief encounter with Mard Geer which led to an overwhelming victory that only needed the shortest amount of time possible. It was only on her way into the Dimensional Gap via the portal that she picked up the Book of E.N.D. and sought the group out. The Slayers of course had a hard time believing she succeeded where they ultimately had failed but they had to believe the story based on the evidence. Gentiana killed their enemy before following them into the Dimensional Gap with Anna and Irene with some sort of plan in mind. And in all honesty it reminded them just how far the gap was between themselves and the demons.

And, for the third question, Irene only said that her magic abilities and immense magical power allowed her to transform into a Dragon and even take on the attributes of one. That wasn't a total lie but it still a good ways away from the truth. She and the dragons along with Anna wanted to save the bulk of the explanations for when they finally exited the Dimensional Gap.

As the group traveled through the expanse, the Slayers couldn't help but admire Irene in her Dragon form. Being an actual dragon, Irene's size was comparable to Igneel and Acnologia. She had light colored scales all over her body, a dark colored fiery mane that ran along her back and arms, which was also connected to her wings. There were three pairs of extensions that was attached to her jaws, a dark colored wing-like design over her eyes that were complimented by two oval designs right above it, the bigger one being on the bottom while the smaller one was on top. The extensions were also located on her paws, four the extended from her forearms and three on each of her fingers. Lastly, she possessed a pair of jagged horns that extended from the base of her skull and had feather like scales extending from the back of her knees.

All in all, Irene was really gorgeous as a human but just an awe inspiring sight when she was a dragon. Plus she loved the compliments when she found the Slayers staring at her, hell she even teased them for it which brought a chorus of laughter from everyone else.

Eventually the group pressed on and continued to fly through the void, hoping to find an exit. Gentiana of course had told them that they would eventually find a way out but in the opposite direction. Although none of them like the prospect of being stuck in the Dimensional Gap they sure as hell hated that they were not going back home, with Natsu being the most vocal. Anna and Irene had reasoned that with their friends safe the best thing to do was leave the Dimensional Gap and heading to the next world which was their safest bet. The dragons sided with both women and that argument was quickly settled with Gentiana assuring the Slayers and Exceeds they would return home in due time. But how much time she could not say…

So the grouping went like this: Natsu, Happy and Gray stayed with Igneel, Gajeel and Lily were with Metalicana, Wendy and Carla were with Grandeeney, Sting and Lector were with Weisslogia, Rogue and Frosch were with Skiadrum and Gentiana along with Anna were with Irene.

Igneel and his passengers decided to stay close to Irene, with everyone else spread out in a loose formation.

"How much further until we reach the exit?" Igneel boomed.

"Several minutes from now we should be reaching it." Irene replied without a glance.

Igneel grunted in acceptance of the answer. He didn't exactly like being in the dark on things. Although he was ecstatic about the fact of reuniting with Anna, he didn't want to show it and although they didn't know her that well, the dragons didn't want to show it either. He was curious as to how she was faring the last decade and some change. He knew she wasn't a celestial mage anymore due to Natsu's mate having most of the Zodiac keys now. But somehow her magic had increased to a respectable level and he could tell she had been training herself. Just what was she doing all these years other than lying low?

"Hey Dad check it out!"

Igneel was brought back to reality as he looked around at some strange new objects.

( _"Are those… golems?"_ ) He thought with curiosity.

There were several statues of his size and slightly larger that littered the airspace. Igneel made note that they looked similar to Gargoyles found on churches. He also made note how each of them were emitting faint traces of magical power in them… as well as something else.

"Whoa…" Happy commented in awe.

"You said it buddy." Natsu said as he looked around.

In all their years as mages, the members of Fairy Tail and Sabertooth had seen several wonders of their world within their kingdom's borders. But honestly nothing compared to what they were seeing in the Dimensional Gap and they hadn't even crossed over into the other world yet.

"Ah… he's here." Gentiana said aloud.

Irene and Anna heard this, confirming they were nearing Gentiana's contact within the Gap. What they didn't expect was well…

"What is that?!"

Gray's loud exclamation brought the Dragons, the rest of the Slayers and the Exceeds attention on a large figure in front of them, resting amongst vegetation on a floating island of sorts. The eyes of everyone except Gentiana widened in shock and fear at what was slowly rising from the island… it was a dragon, one that dwarfed Acnologia and could even be bigger than the castle in Crocus. And his magic power was so off the charts that everyone minus Gentiana was surprised magic power could be that high. What they didn't know was the beast was allowing them to sense only a fraction of his power which far exceeded theirs due to his origins and nature.

As he rose his appearance became much clearer to the group. He was a massive western dragon with red scales, two sets of wings and a horn on his snout. To the outsiders he was just a massive, powerful dragon who they assumed resided in the Gap. To Gentiana, she knew just who this was… he was Great Red, the True Red Dragon God Emperor. It had been quite some time since she last seen him and she had to admit the four winged beast was still as majestic as ever. The others of course had their own reaction.

( _"What the hell… are we… supposed to fight that?"_ ) Natsu thought nervously with a broken smile.

The other Dragon Slayers thought the same as they were sweating heavily at the prospect of facing something so gargantuan. Gajeel was smiling nervously, Sting and Rogue had grimaces, and poor Wendy was shivering in fright. Whatever confidence she found after the fight with Tartaros was gone. Must have been the adrenaline…

( _"I think… I've had enough dragons for one day…"_ ) Gray thought with a neutral frown.

To be frank, the Ice user could use a drink right about now. Acnologia was one thing but this dragon before them was on another level. He could tolerate his friends dragon family… he just couldn't deal with something that could squash them and could very well be an enemy at any moment.

( _"A power that dwarfs even my own and Acnologia's… incredible."_ ) Irene thought in awe.

The Dragon's eyes lit up before he reared his head back and gave a deafening roar of power. The sound from the roar was so loud that the Slayers, Anna and the Exceeds were clutching their ears hoping they wouldn't bleed. Even the Dragons were disoriented from the sheer volume the roar produced. Out of the entire group, Gentiana remained unfazed by this while smiling the whole time.

After removing her hands from her ears, Anna looked over to the now standing mystery woman she called an ally.

"Gentiana… is he…?" The blonde hesitantly asked.

Gentiana looked over with her eyes closed as usual and gave a confirmed nod along with a smile. She definitely did that more than before in her past.

"Yes. This is my contact. I assure you though, he poses no threat as long as you don't provoke him." The brunette assured.

Anna nodded, albeit a little nervously. She wasn't a celestial wizard anymore and although she had started learning new magic on her own, she theorized using it in this situation would only make things worse. That and she also theorized this dragon before her was only letting off small amounts of his power to discourage a useless death.

Gentiana then handed over a bag that contained both the Book of E.N.D. and a small blue orb over to Anna before she stepped off of Irene's back. The brunette used her magic to form ice platforms in midair surprising everyone at the feat. Some in the group would even note that Gray was muttering how cool it was albeit in an envious tone. No one bothered to disagree with them because the past 24 hours or so had been full of surprises.

" **Who dares disturb my slumber?"** Great Red roared in intimidation.

The dragon bloody talked!

Natsu still had a nervous smile as did the rest of the male slayers in the group while Wendy let out a cute 'eep' in response.

Gentiana continued to walk, creating ice platforms in her path going forward while the previous shattered into nothingness. She stopped on her last platform that was several dozen feet away from the massive red dragon.

"Hello Great Red, it's been quite some time since I saw you last." Gentiana greeted with a smile and a bow.

The now identified Great Red peered down with slight confusion on his features. He lowered himself some and after taking a few moments to look at the woman's face while also looking into her memories he remembered just who she was… at least who the real her was.

" **Gentiana is that you?"** The massive dragon asked in slight surprise.

Said woman gave a nod and her smile lengthened so slightly. The others were surprised and confused that the two knew each other. Just who were they? Gentiana was a powerful Ice mage of unknown origin while Great Red was a massive dragon that resided in the Dimensional Gap. But what were they to each other? Had they met before? Questions swirled in everyone's minds as Great Red reared his head back and let out a good natured laugh. This seemed to lessen the tension and the mages sighed slightly with small smiles on their faces. This dragon was okay in their books, even if he was a mystery.

" **Why it is you old friend! It has honestly been far too long. Tell me how are things in your world?"** He boomed boisterously.

"Oh you know how it goes. There are conflicts here and there but nothing to serious. In all honesty the world is mostly at peace and I've enjoyed making myself a new home there." She replied warmly.

" **Good for you. I know it must've been somewhat difficult leaving home and making the journey. But I am most pleased with the fact you've found a new home. You most certainly deserve it."**

She chuckled lightly at this statement. Gentiana and her companions had met Great Red after leaving their original world in which they watched over for quite some time. It was towards the end of her time there she reunited with a love she thought she lost as well as learning to admire humanity for more of the good and less of the bad. When they left, they crossed over into the void only to be greeted by Great Red. Of course one of her companions had attacked Great Red out of reflex before she and another of her companions stepped in several minutes after the skirmish had escalated. Once the situation was explained, Great Red understood the implications of their somewhat nomadic journey and offered them help in finding a new home. It was then most of her companions took a liking to Great Red, her being the closest. She and her companions spent some time in the void before leaving and although she had made the promise they would see each other again, their duties in their new home kept her from keeping that promise… until today.

"Why thank you. But we all know it wouldn't have been possible without your assistance. You are a Dragon God after all."

" **I was proud to lend you my aid. There's no need to thank me for helping a friend. Or rather in your case friends."** The dragon jabbed playfully.

They both shared a laugh at this. It had literally been centuries since they talked. Oh how time flies…

The Slayers, Exceeds, Anna and the dragons listened to this conversation and what they heard was rather shocking.

So Great Red was a Dragon God apparently…

…

…

Natsu and the others were gob smacked while Irene simply shook her head muttering 'figures'. Natsu's brain took a while to reboot after that statement alone. Great Red is a Dragon God… that alone sent shivers down his spine, pride of being the son of the Fire Dragon King be damned. Natsu feared very few things in his life. There was that time in the S-Class trials where Gildarts overwhelming power made him submit. Then there was the time Lucy was about to have her head crushed by that bastard from Grimmoire Heart. And of course later on there was that time where he and his team was about to face Hades might until he found the resolve to try and beat him. There were several instances and situations after that which gave Natsu a definitive list of things he truly feared. Enemies who were stronger than he was, people hurting his guild and most of all… those who would dare harm his princess. Frightening thoughts aside, he figured everyone here mostly had something to protect and had their own fears they faced or are still having to face. But he would do his best to pick his friends up and push forward.

Great Red stopped conversing with Gentiana to look at the group that had accompanied her. He used his magic to get a read on everyone present. Strange…

He never got many visitors or trespassers within the Gap but he had to admit this group was certainly different. Humans taught magic that was made to specifically slay dragons, one in particular having a demonic aura mixed with that of a dragon. Then of course there was the human who possessed the power to slay devils and demons. Great Red pitied the poor boy for his great misfortune as the Dragon God had seen similar stories like his happen. Next were the dragons who made the Dragon God swell with pride knowing his kin of another world were here in the Gap, especially since one of them was a dragon king. Although he was greatly concerned with their conditions, he hoped they would find a long term, if not permanent solution to their situation once they crossed over into the next world.

Curiously Great Red focused on the female dragon leading the pack and the blonde mage riding her. Apparently the hybrid was the creator of Dragon Slayer Magic in her world and had fought a war for equality against dragons who saw humans as food. He understood both sides well but he was rather angry and wary of the one who was declared victor in the Dragon King Festival. His inner rage worsened when he discovered who gave him this power to efficiently slay his kin.

That led Great Red to looking into the blonde mage. A time traveler? Now that made sense as to why her aura stuck out. Not only that but the woman was a godmother of sorts to the 'Dragon Slayers' that were with her. It appeared as though she was one of those women who were naturally gifted to handle dragons, male or female. These kids would be in great care if anything about her memories showed anything.

" **Well what do we have here… the creator of Dragon Slayer Magic, a blonde mage with an affinity for magic, a Devil Slayer, dragons of several elements, talking cats and of course Dragon Slayers of the first and third generation. I must say I'm rather impressed."** Great Red listed with an intrigued tone.

That statement was a lot to take in. Apparently besides being too damn strong he was a mind reader too.

( _"Hold on a sec… did he read our minds?! Scratch that! Did he say one of them created Dragon Slayer Magic?!"_ ) Natsu screamed internally.

Everyone else minus Anna and Gentiana thought the same thing. Anna was a former celestial mage and a Heartfillia, so it couldn't have been her. Gentiana was strong and although they assumed she could use more than ice they shot that idea down and just labeled her as a mysterious, powerful woman with wisdom and knowledge at her disposal. Which left only one person… Irene. Their collective curiosity peaked and more questions swirled in their minds. If Irene was the creator of Dragon Slayer Magic then that would be part of the reason of how she was able to transform into a dragon right? The Dragons of course weren't fazed by this because they had heard of her before… they just didn't know of her fate until she showed up along with them in the Gap. It made them wonder what happened to her and how she was still alive 400+ years into the future? The Slayers of course had their own questions along similar lines.

"You looked into our minds didn't you?" Irene deadpanned with a low growl.

If he could give her a shit eating grin, the Dragon God would do it tenfold.

" **Yes. It was rather enlightening. As much as I would like to get to know each of you I feel as though you must be on a short schedule."** Great Red said rather amusedly.

"He is right. Additionally this is as far as I can lead you." Gentiana stated abruptly.

The group looked on curiously as she gave a nod to Great Red, who used one of his massive claws to rip open a hole in space and time. It was their exit into a world not their own. Although uneasy at the prospect of the numerous unknowns that would be presented the group steeled themselves for whatever lie on the other side.

"All of you will be crossing over into another world where you will gain the necessary tools and experience that you will need to defeat both Zeref and Acnologia. You will also gain the answers that you have been seeking for quite some time." The brunette ice user explained.

The Slayers glanced at each other in silent agreement. There was no turning back now. If they were going to help their friends in the battle to come, the best chance to do so was to explore the next world, train and go back stronger than ever before. The Dragons slowly made their approach before Gentiana stopped them one last time.

"One more thing…"

Natsu, Happy and Gray stole a glance at the brunette as they neared the portal.

"Your bonds will carry you forward as well as your power. Know that the truth of what you will hear will hurt but still help you in the long run." She encouraged with a determined smile.

The Slayers and Exceeds smiled or smirked at her words. Natsu gave a nod before he and the others turned their attention towards the portal. As if on command the dragons shot forth, filing in one by one until the last disappeared into the gleaming light.

"Farewell. Until we meet again my friends."

The portal slowly closed before dispersing into glittering light. The two beings that remained, enjoyed the comfortable silence within the expanse for several moments. Then Great Red crossed his massive arms while he turned his head in Gentiana's direction.

" **You never told them did you?"** Great Red questioned with an assumed raised brow.

To this the brunette looked up as if to ask 'whatever do you mean' to which Great Red responded with an unamused look, if one could call it that. Gentiana let out a sigh, slumping her shoulders before she was enveloped by an icy mist. Magic flowed all around her changing both her clothes and appearance, steadily floating up to Great Red's line of sight. When the mist disappeared, the Dragon God found himself staring at a slightly different yet all too familiar form of his good friend.

Her new form looked that of a willowy female with pale skin, glowing ethereal blue eyes and long blue hair that had streaks of purple. She wore an armored bikini piece with what appeared to be the combination of light blue leggings and purple boots that came to her shins. She also had an ornament in her stylized hair, wore an aesthetic piece on her back that had strips of blue and purple cloth attached.

In this form she was no longer Gentiana the Messenger. She was so much more…

"They will find out when I deem it necessary. Until then I will be back every few months for an update. Please do keep me posted old friend." She said in a cool tone.

'Gentiana' gave Great Red a friendly pat on the snout as a good bye before floating off into the expanse, heading back to Earth Land no doubt. Great Red sat there, again alone in the expanse. He thought of what to do now that he was awake. He knew for sure had slept long enough, it had only been several decades. Last time he was awake the humans had fought something called the 'Great War' or World War I. After that farce of an armistice went into effect, Great Red drifted off and he only awoke one more time to catch the tail end of World War II before going to sleep again, snoozing his way through the last 60-70+ years of history. The Supernatural politics hadn't changed all that much in the time he was in deep slumber. None of it concerned him until the idiots in power made it his concern. With the inclusion of Gentiana's friends in the mix, things might change somewhat.

" **Things are definitely going to get interesting down there that's for sure."** Great Red mused aloud.

* * *

 **Unknown Island Chain, Atlantic Ocean**

 **Nighttime**

A bright rift of light opened up between the starry night sky and a swarming mass of dark clouds. Pouring out the rift, were the slightly disoriented group of Slayers, dragons and Exceeds.

Irene and Igneel shook off their momentary discomfort and lead the group in much more loose formation than before. They flew on for several minutes before noticing something odd about the clouds.

( _"Strange… It's almost as if these clouds are acting as a cover. But what would they be covering and why?"_ ) Irene thought.

Her first question was answered as they emerged from the clouds to see a chain of sizable islands in front of them. She spotted one that would be perfect to setup camp and glanced over to Igneel to give the silent message hoping he would agree. He looked at her and nodded before she lead the group towards an open field that was located on the island she chose.

Each of the dragons set themselves on the ground before allowing their passengers to disembark. The Slayers and Exceeds took the opportunity to get a bearing of their surroundings.

"So… this is the new world eh?" Natsu mused aloud.

"Only a part of it if that's the case." Gray commented.

Natsu hummed as if to agree before a noticeable yawn brought his attention. He looked over to see Carla and Grandeeney helping a very sluggish Wendy.

"My child are you alright?" Grandeeney asked in a soothing tone.

Wendy had one hand placed against Grandeeney's face while the other was rubbing her eye tiredly. Despite being a Dragon Slayer, Wendy was still the youngest of the group and unlike her fellow Slayers in the group, she wasn't used to working long hours, especially working during nights.

"*Yawn*… I'm fine… Just a bit sleepy…" Wendy mumbled out.

"You should rest Wendy, you've already pushed yourself enough these past few days. Heaven knows you could use a break." Carla said.

The others were inclined to agree. Irene transformed back to her human form and approached Anna.

"Perhaps we should put off explanations and food for the morning. They need the rest." Anna stated with a worried look.

Irene nodded and looked over everyone. As the situation stood right now, the dragons' magical power would last them another day, two days at the most. For the Slayers and Exceeds, their magic reserves were returning at a steady rate which meant all they needed was food and rest before they could travel to wherever their journey took them.

"Alright. I know a spell or two that can help provide sleeping bags, extra sets of clothes as well as tents." Irene stated.

Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and looked at her incredulously. Irene just glanced around and shrugged at the unspoken question that was on their minds.

"Keep in mind I created Dragon Slayer Magic and since then I've been studying many things magic related. Dragon related magic isn't my only specialty you know." She explained with a smug grin.

Most of them grumbled, saying something along the lines of how what she said did make sense.

Once they settled down, Irene conjured several spells that summoned new clothing for everyone, one set being night wear fitting for camping and the other set being some casual clothes for in the morning. Irene had no idea how the fashion of this world fared in comparison to their own but she hoped they would be similar at the very least. After everyone got their clothes, Irene and Anna distributed the tents. The Dragons decided to hit the hay early and conserve their energy in the hopes they could find a solution to their dilemma in the morning. There was a consensus agreement that a two of the Slayers would go hunting for breakfast in the morning while the others would hang back and wait. Obviously there was the concern of how nobody knew how the island was made up and where what was. Irene quashed that concern and said that discerning one scent from the other should make exploration easier. No one argued that and everyone quickly dispersed to their own tents, the Dragon Slayers and Exceeds getting tents together next to the Dragon Slayers adoptive parents. Gray got his own tent while Irene and Anna decided to share one. In a matter of minutes, everyone was fast asleep under a starry night sky.

Unknown to the group however, their arrival into this new world had not gone unnoticed.

* * *

 **On a nearby cliff**

A tall, muscular man was covered in a brown cloak as he overlooked the open field. He had already received a message from Great Red telling him of these strange guests that would be coming to his world, so he decided to see if they had arrived. Lo and behold they did so and they all settled in a small encampment. The man held out an arm that was covered by a golden bracer as an eagle landed on his forearm.

The eagle seemed energetic and eager to please his master and was squawking at the bit for another task to do before returning home for the night.

The cloaked man's eyes glowed as he held a grape to his friend who ate the grape happily. The man smiled and chuckled before handing his feathered companion a scroll.

"Take this to the queen. She must know of these developments immediately." The man ordered.

To this the Eagle nodded and took off. The man crossed his arms and looked at the open field again. He had taken an interest in the story of these strange beings. They came from a world where magic was abundant, dragons were in all likelihood extinct and existence of the supernatural was very rare. Their individual stories did slightly sadden them, reminding him of the time of the Ancient Greek heroes or even the wielders of the Sacred Gears. Each legendary figure had a tale of tragedy before slowly rising to triumph and great fame… of course most if not all of their tales ended up 50/50 of how peaceful or painful their death was.

Anyways, he saw great magic potential in each of them and he was more than willing to take Gentiana's suggestion for training them. Of course, training under gods would be hell but who was he to refuse such a request?

The man chuckled at that thought. He was the leader/king of Olympus after all. And he was going to enjoy putting five hatchlings and a pup through the sheer hell of training. Now… who would 'volunteer' to be their teachers?

* * *

 **The Next Morning**

 **Forest**

Gajeel and Rogue were assigned to hunt for food so that's what they were doing. Both were experienced hunters due to their time around their previous masters as well as living on the streets (mainly Gajeel).

Gajeel was dressed in a green tank top, beige cargo shorts and pair of brown hiking boots. He also sported a grey and red, striped headband that kept those pesky fringes out of his eyes. He did this for two reasons… One because Levy did the same with hers and he only let his fringes show when they were alone. And two because it was stylish as hell and he could relate to her in some way.

Rogue was wearing a black tank top, granite colored cargo shorts and a pair of black hiking boots. His hair was tied into a ponytail like he had done when he and Sting aided Fairy Tail against Tartaros.

The two had decided on hunting near a stream because they felt that was where most of the game would be. Gajeel would stick to big game like boars and Rogue would stick to getting fish. Anna and Wendy took to gathering herbs.

"Hey Lyos?"

Rogue finished tying the net full of fish together before glancing over his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

Gajeel had managed to hunt down and kill six boars using his self-made kunai. He tied them down on a durable, long stick which was rather convenient.

"What do you think they'll tell us?"

Rogue stopped for a moment, sighing to himself.

"To be honest I don't know. Sting and I thought we had slain our dragons but I guess our memories must have been manipulated somehow." He replied with a frown.

He stood up and hoisted the net full of fish over his shoulders. Gajeel already had the pole carrying the boar over both shoulders.

"As to where they have been this entire time, I have my theories. Hopefully they all have answers."

( _"Especially Irene and Anna…"_ ) Rogue mentally added.

Gajeel matched Rogue's frown and nodded. Neither Dragon Slayers liked being kept in the dark on matters when it came to family. Their dragons weren't excluded. They silently trekked their way back to the camp site, anxiously anticipating what came after breakfast.

* * *

 **Campsite**

"Now can we get answers?"

The question came from an impatient Sting of all people.

The Slayers, Exceeds, dragons, Anna and Irene all enjoyed a silent breakfast but the trepidation and anxiety were still there. Anna and Irene had were wearing cargo shorts and hiking boots like everyone else but unlike the Slayers they wore t-shirts instead of tank tops. Gray of course magically stripped being down to just cargo shorts.

Now the time had come for answers. On one side were Anna, Irene and the dragons with the two women sitting on logs in front of the dragons. On the other side, sitting in the grass were the Slayers and Exceeds.

Igneel looked to Anna and Irene, with both women nodding he looked up and cleared his throat before speaking.

"I suppose you have waited long enough haven't you?" Igneel asked in a low tone.

The teens and lone pre-teen nodded with determined faces. The Fire Dragon King sighed before correcting his posture.

"Well I guess we should start off with what happened 400 years ago…"

Igneel then gave a brief explanation… more like a storytelling of the tales of the dragon race in Earth Land. The Dragon Slayers had each heard this explanation from their own dragons as kids but still meant something to hear it now all these years. Gray hearing this couldn't help but soften his features as he too became enraptured in Igneel's storytelling. Irene jumped in to tell the stories of how humanity then came in and interacted with the dragon race. Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy did comment on how they heard the origins of the Dragon King Festival from the spirit of the Jade Dragon Zirconis which Irene confirming with a smile.

"So if that's the case then what part did you guys play in all this?" Sting prompted.

Irene's smile dropped and she looked away in bitterness. Anna had a sad frown on her face and looked at her lap. The dragons had mixed reactions varying from neutral frowns to looks of bitterness like Irene.

"All five of us participated of course. Our respected clans even supported the Kingdom of Dragnof on occasion." Igneel stated with slight pride.

"Dragnof?" Natsu parroted in confusion.

Irene regained her composure and couldn't help the smile that came back to her face.

"Dragnof was kingdom that represented the idea of Dragons and Humans coexisting in peace. The kingdom of course wasn't all that big but was still rather sizeable. We housed several different clans from the Dragons while also being able to house roughly a million citizens. It was quite the achievement if I do say so myself." She explained.

"You make it sound like you had a hand in it. Were you a citizen or someone important?" Gray asked with a raised brow.

"Of course she was boy. She was the kingdom's Queen." Metalicana scoffed.

Then it all clicked. The Slayers and Exceeds gawked at the redhead who was giggling behind her hand.

"Now I know what you're all thinking, 'If she was the queen how is she still here'? To answer your question I think it's best to tell you how Dragon Slayer Magic came to be." She said with a playful grin.

The Slayers and Exceeds nodded with vigor. Anna shot Irene with a small smile, enjoying the ease in the building tension from earlier.

"It came to me one day when I was talking with my good friend Beslserion…"

* * *

 **Flashback**

 **Earth Land**

 **Kingdom of Dragnof**

"You wish to discuss something with me Lady Irene?"

Sitting in the large room of was a dragon that looked like most of his species, minus the fact he had sharp protrusions that extended from different parts of his body, like the two tusk like maxillary canines that came out of his bottom jaw. He was Beslserion, the Sage Dragon.

In front of Beslserion was a redhead in a dark colored robe with armor plating around her forearms and her right shoulder. This was a younger version of Irene, the 'Queen of Dragons'.

"Yes. As it stands, the battles we have fought are not only costly but it may well hamper the future we are striving." She explained grimly.

The dragon and human shared a close bond, close enough to be almost family without the blood. They had spent a good amount of time building the kingdom to what it was today. However they also spent a good amount of time defending it from outside threats all due to the Dragon King Festival.

Beslserion nodded at his friend and Queen's current assessment.

"With our victories so few, defending the kingdom and its citizens will be even more challenging than before. If the strategic reports are anything to go by, we can expect the opposition to be at our doors within the coming month, two at best." He said, echoing his friend's statement.

She stepped forward with determination and a stronger fire in her eyes.

"Which is why I have come to you old friend. I wish to seek an advantage against our enemies. We need a strong enough magic to not just challenge a dragon but to slay one as well."

Beslserion's eyes widened.

"Are you suggesting that my people and I…" he began.

"Yes." Irene finished for him.

 **End of Flashback**

* * *

"It was at that moment my friend and I introduced the concept of Dragon Slayer Magic. In the coming weeks a brave few, myself included, had learned the art before using it in coming battles."

The Slayers and Exceeds were gaping with wide eyes. The dragons and Anna had heard the story, hell lived through it already so it wasn't such a revelation to them. Rogue and Gray were the first to snap out of their stupor.

"So what happened then Lady Irene?" Rogue asked respectfully.

She looked at him with a neutral face, no smile present whatsoever.

"We succeeded in numerous campaigns, driving our enemy back. Our casualties went down as a result of the Dragon Slayers becoming frontline soldiers for the majority of the next few months."

Rogue hummed and narrowed his eyes, as if sensing the bottom was about to drop.

"But… all good things come to an end as the saying goes. We had proceeded onto many victories; hopefully enough to make the other side would realize the futility of it all. We were making progress both diplomatically and on the battlefield." She explained further.

Then Irene's face scrunched up in anger and bitterness. Old feelings had bubbled to the surface yet again. She couldn't help it when she thought of those days.

"That's when _he_ came." Irene spat bitterly.

They all knew who he was. The clash of hot and cold alerted everyone to the flaring tempers of Natsu and Gray. Even though Gray was a non-Dragon Slayer, he couldn't help but feel for his comrades and share in their collective anger.

"Acnologia." Natsu growled out.

Irene gave a nod of confirmation. Gajeel and Sting looked away, frowning even further. Rogue had kept his composure but inside he was furious (blame it on his dragon instincts). He knew very well what likely happened next. Wendy had a look of frustration on her face while bringing her knees to her chest. Carla was sitting next to the blue haired girl and comforted her with a rub of the paw on her arm.

"I think we can assume what happened next once Acnologia made his debut during the war. But remind me again, what exactly were his motivations?" Panther Lily asked with his arms crossed.

"To this day we don't completely know his story. All we do know is that he despises anything and everything dragon. His sole purpose is to destroy Dragons and Dragon Slayers while also basking in the solace of being the sole 'King' of our kind." Weisslogia chimed in.

"Once he entered the Dragon King Festival he did just that. Dragons from both sides were slaughtered, Dragon Slayers were also among those who were slain in his warpath." Skiadrum stated.

"Hell even the humans who sided with our kin had decided to step in only for them too to die." Metalicana said grimly.

The Slayers hung their heads even lower than before while the Exceeds were frightened badly. Frosch clung tightly to Rogue who had managed to keep his composure for the most part.

"Each of our clans even participated in a planned assault alongside the forces from the Kingdom of Dragnof only for it to backfire." Grandeeney said in a saddened tone.

Natsu's head shot up and his eyes locked onto the Fire Dragon King who still sat with a neutral expression. But the pain in his eyes were still there.

"Hang on! You all fought together against him… and lost?!"

Igneel gave a curt nod at Natsu's outburst.

"That we did and we did not come out unscathed." Igneel said bitterly.

"In the end, the Dragon King Festival had only one victor as you know with both sides suffering massive casualties. Acnologia's appearance is one of the top reasons why Dragons aren't around anymore." Irene immediately cut in.

Hearing the full story made the mood somber and gloomy. That was the reality they were dealing with and it couldn't be worse. Wendy had to bite back tears, Gajeel gritted his teeth in frustration at feeling so powerless. Sting was in the same boat as Gajeel but a little worse while Rogue simply closed his eyes with a frown still adorning his youthful face. The Exceeds, with the exception of Lily had sadness written across their faces. Gray balled his fists cursing at the fact he was virtually strong against demons but no match for the Black Dragon. Natsu couldn't help but grind his teeth angry at the fact that so many had died trying to stop one of the most two dangerous individuals he had ever seen walk Earth Land. It was an unfair situation made worse with the realization he couldn't hold a candle to someone who even beat the very being that taught him magic.

Rogue was the first to speak after several moments.

"So he won the war and your clans were devastated but that doesn't explain this." He said, gesturing around the group.

Igneel sighed heavily, seemingly more tired than he had been in a long time.

"That's because our stories after that war are tied together young Rogue."

Rogue raised an eyebrow at that statement. The others were slightly confused at what he just said.

"What do you mean by that?" Carla chimed in.

The dragons shared glances with each other before looking at the group again.

"Tell me young ones, what do you know of your past? Of your parents?" Weisslogia prompted.

No one answered. They had thoughtful frowns on their faces before looking up and shaking their heads. Gray of course was excluded because he just lost his dad again with his mother being gone for some time now.

"We've known only you guys and our guilds as family. I don't think we ever thought about our birth parents much." Natsu said in a low tone.

Igneel hung his head, dreading the next few moments.

"I see."

He rose his head and met the expecting gazes of the youth in front of him.

"In the coming days your memories will come to you. The truth of who your parents were, the truth about your past and even the truth about that fateful day in July will come to you. Our magic will clear up the fog we placed in your minds and allow you to open your eyes to the truth." He boomed.

The eyes of the Slayers shot open and they were quite surprised at what that bombshell meant. Natsu shot up to his feet, not liking where this was going.

"You see, we never left you on July 7, X777 we simply sealed ourselves inside your souls after coming 400 years from the past." Igneel explained.

Natsu almosted stopped breathing when he heard that. The others let their emotions be known.

"Wait a minute! What do you mean you sealed yourselves in our souls? You've been with us the whole time and didn't even let us know?!" Gajeel yelled.

"I think the bigger question is how did you travel 400 years into the future?" Rogue growled out.

There were traces of bitterness in the Shadow Dragon Slayer's because he had an idea of how exactly they time traveled. It was the same way his future self had traveled and even brought forth dragons from the past.

The Eclipse Gate.

"The Eclipse Gate." Anna said, entering the conversation.

The Slayers and Exceeds looked at her with wide eyes, several emotions storming in their eyes. She looked to the blue sky with a faraway look.

"It started with a plan. There was me, Igneel and Zeref…" she began.

The group tensed at the mention of that name. How did the Black Wizard figure into all this?

"Igneel would convince dragons of different clans to train a select few orphans the art of Dragon Slayer Magic with the hope those children would one day slay Acnologia and avenge all of Dragon kind."

She looked to see Igneel with a pained expression on his features while he peered at the ground. Anna took the moment to continue on.

"Zeref would use his knowledge and resources to construct the Eclipse Gate. After all, by the time Igneel and I met him he wasn't the menace to society you all know him as now."

Natsu stepped forward with his usual fierce expression but there was nervousness too.

"And what about you?" He asked softly.

She looked at him with a small smile. He couldn't help but recoil at the fact she looked too much like Lucy right now.

"I'm technically the godmother for you all. But beside that, I was a celestial mage. And at that time I had all the Zodiac keys within my possession. Which meant I was the only one who could open the gate." She explained.

Natsu crossed his arms and the Slayers along with the Exceeds silently agreed in understanding on that bit of info. They mulled over it all and it seemed a bit overwhelming. When they thought about it, they were orphans chosen to fight against the greatest threat they had ever known 400 years into the future. Gray of course was conflicted on Zeref being involved but without the Black Wizard he wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet the people he would call his friends. On the other hand he wondered how much they had known and for how long.

"That's very well good and all but is there another reason why you sealed yourselves in their souls?" Carla asked with a disapproving frown.

Wendy was about to give a quick scolding to her partner when Grandeeney chimed in.

"There were two reasons for this." She said.

"One was to heal our souls from the damage done by Acnologia." Skiadrum chimed in.

They all paled and Rogue was quick to ask the next question, already dreading what the answer would be.

"And the other reason?" he asked, voice slightly rising at the end.

The dragons collectively lowered their heads.

"To save you from the same fate the Dragon Slayers of the Dragon King Festival endured all those years ago. Dragonization due to the Dragon Seed." Igneel uttered ashamed.

They collectively recoiled at that while Irene snapped her head up and looked at the dragons with slightly widened eyes. For so long she had theories as to how and why she had gone through the changes like her fellow Dragon Slayers… now she knew. She once cursed Acnologia for her fate. Acnologia had killed not only a good friend but the one being who could save her from becoming a dragon. Anna just had a look of regret as she already knew what they were talking about. They had warned her it might happen to the kids since they witnessed what happened to the Dragon Slayers before them. They took the necessary precautions to ensure their souls would be saved.

Igneel took a moment to explain what the Dragon Seed was, the technique the dragons used to seal themselves inside their respective Slayer and of course issue a collective apology. They didn't respond for several moments before Gray chimed in.

"Even with all that, what is Zeref's role in all this?" Gray asked with furrowed brows.

For the umpteenth time that day, Igneel sighed. This was one last Band-Aid that needed to be ripped off. It was now or never.

"He made me promise him to protect someone he cherished. To give him love, help him grow and above all else tell him the truth one day if I was ever permitted the chance." Igneel said softly.

"Who?" Natsu prompted.

Igneel closed his eyes as he recalled the story from the recesses of his memory.

"Zeref once lived in a village with his mother, father and little brother. They were happy for a time before their village was attacked. His parents and little brother died of injuries too severe for them to survive."

The boys had grimaces on their faces while Wendy had a look of mortification. She may not like Zeref but she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"How awful…" the bluenette muttered.

"I agree…" Carla reluctantly seconded.

Igneel nodded and looked to the sky.

"It was at that point his life changed. He pushed forward with the intent to learn as much as he could about magic and the magic world. He studied for hours on end for several years while attending the best academy for aspiring mages of that day. Before it all came crashing down."

He looked down at the group, with them and Irene paying rapt attention to his words.

"He was always looking into the connections between life, death and magic. In the end it was the creations of the R-System and Eclipse Gate that led to him being expelled. Of course there were other things as well such as his theories on controlling demons and even forbidden arts tied to resurrection or even going to other worlds."

Igneel took a deep breath readying himself for this next part.

"And despite all that he succeeded. Sometime after being expelled he achieved the apex of magic, being both blessed and cursed with the power of the gods themselves."

Slight confusion and fear ran across their faces.

"To clarify, Zeref had also been expelled for breaching the teachings of the God of Black Arts Ankserham due to Zeref wanting to resurrect his brother." Weisslogia said.

"When Ankserham caught wind of this, he gave Zeref the curse of contradiction. Despite all that magic power he built and was gifted with, the price was that everything he ever touched or loved would simply die." Skiadrum explained.

They gave a hesitant nod at the clarification. The confusion was gone yet more questions remained.

"Dad… you said Zeref succeeded yet I can't help but think he failed too. Even with all that power he ended up hurting a lot of people. And all this just to bring his brother back? It doesn't make any sense to me at all." Natsu said, clearly frustrated.

Gray nodded his head in agreement. He looked over to the dragons and Anna and was confused by the pitying gazes directed at Natsu. The others picked up on it too and Gray's gut was telling him something was very wrong with this picture.

( _"That look in their eyes… I don't like this. Why are they looking at him like that? It's almost as if…"_ )

Gray's thoughts stopped as he slowly looked at Natsu with a troubled look. His thoughts were leading him to different conclusions that he didn't like or don't want to hear. Igneel continued on.

"With his power and knowledge, Zeref brought back his brother. But in order for his brother to survive, Zeref bonded him to the greatest fire demon that ever lived."

"E.N.D.!" Natsu exclaimed.

Igneel nodded and despite a nagging voice in his head telling him to stop, he wanted to finish it. For Natsu's journey to press forward, he needed to accept the truth of his past.

"Yes. But the truth is, the fire demon's true name was forgone and when Zeref's little brother and the demon bonded, E.N.D. was born."

Natsu nodded and stepped forward.

"And you guys have the book now. So if we destroy the book E.N.D. won't hurt anyone right?"

Igneel stood up on all fours and narrowed his eyes at his adoptive son.

"Unfortunately Natsu we can't do that."

"And why the hell not?!" the teen snapped.

Weisslogia rose up and directed his gaze towards the fire breather.

"Tell me young Dragneel… do you know of E.N.D.'s true name?" the White Dragon questioned.

Confusion quashed Natsu's brief surge of anger as he took in that question. The true name of a demon who was also Zeref's little brother? That didn't really make sense at first but then after a moment or two of thinking it hit him. E.N.D. were initials which meant each letter represented the demon's name!

"The E stands for Etherious…" Anna said averting her eyes.

She reached into the satchel by her side and pulled out the book. Her hands gently brushed against the cover.

The others mulled over that hint trying to figure out what the N and D stood for. The sharper ones of the group understood however. Irene regarded Natsu with a sympathetic gaze yet her face didn't show it. Rogue simply lowered his head and clinched his free hand tight. He wasn't close with Natsu but they had built a bit of a bond after a sobering Grand Magic Games. He was a fellow Dragon Slayer, a hero to the kingdom and a valued friend… so why did fate have to be so cruel?

Carla immediately looked horrified which Wendy picked up on.

"Carla?"

The lone female Exceed had her gaze trained on Natsu. One by one the others looked at him too. He glanced at each of them and couldn't for the life of him understand why they were looking at him like that. Gray grasped his right forearm tight and his inner conflict was making it hell for him to think straight.

He knew.

It all added up. The tragic story of the one known as E.N.D. was finally revealed… and it didn't help the fact he had made a promise to destroy the very being that had come to be known as his rival and best friend.

Gajeel and Sting's respective faces slowly morphed into something akin to shock and horror. Wendy was confused at first but then she too realized it.

"No… no… it can't be true…" she murmured as she placed her hands over her mouth.

Natsu was starting to panic a bit at the looks he was getting. And then in a split second it all made sense.

He snapped his head back with the silent hope what he just realized wasn't true.

None of the dragons looked him in the eye and Anna continued to gaze at the book in her hands. At this point he couldn't stop shaking. The salmon haired teen was doing all he could to keep himself from collapsing.

"Dad… are you saying that… that…"

Igneel finally raised his head and with a sad look in his eyes finally told him the truth.

"Yes Natsu. You are Zeref's little brother, inheritor of my legacy and not only that the fire demon known as E.N.D."

Wide eyed, Natsu dropped on all fours and felt the true weight of despair. His world had just been crushed. His entire life felt like it was a lie. It all felt wrong.

( _"So this entire time…"_ )

He bared his teeth as his eyes started to burn. His hair shadowed the top half of his face, hands grasping at the earth beneath them.

( _"My entire life…"_ )

The tears were now starting to flow and he no longer cared that he was openly crying. He choked back sobs as he curled slightly.

( _"HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A LIE!"_ )

He pushed himself off the ground and roared in sheer agony. He didn't know how long he was doing it but he let it all out. His misery at finding out the truth of who he was and what it meant.

He started punching the ground while the others simply looked on with pitying and saddened looks. Happy was crying his eyes out, rubbing his face with a lone paw. Even Gray couldn't help but feel his pain.

( _"He never knew… all this time he never knew. And worst off they did, hoping they would never have to tell him."_ )

The newly minted Devil Slayer felt sick to his stomach at the fact he had unknowingly promised to kill Natsu of all people. He hoped his dad would be understanding as he was not going to keep that promise unless fate would force his hand in doing so.

Gray looked over to Wendy who at this point was crying without making a single sound. The tears were streaming yet she just stood there looking at the young man who had become one of her big brothers. Without the silent urging of her to take action, Gray watched as the Sky Maiden shot forward and wrapped herself around Natsu's back.

At that point Natsu just froze before letting his arms fall to the side.

"You're not a demon to me… to us Natsu." The muffled voice of Wendy said.

He heard her loud and clear. He could feel her tears wetting his back and his heart was immediately weighed down with guilt. There was an unspoken rule about making the girls of Fairy Tail cry. Whoever made them cry was going to suffer. For those who dared draw the tears of a Fairy Girl had sinned and must suffer the wrath of their family.

"But-"

"No buts!"

His eyes widened and he couldn't help but look back. She gave him a moment to turn around so they could look at each other properly. Her small, gentle hands placed themselves on his cheeks. Even with the tears still running she adopted a fierce expression. She stood straight up and looked down at him, her youthful figure exuding a powerful aura of comfort and determination.

"The Natsu that saved Cait Shelter… the one that fought by my side for so long… the one who was the best big brother I could ask for is the Natsu that I've come to know and love like family. Dragon or Demon I don't care… Because at the end of the day Natsu is still Natsu to me!"

The dragons slowly grew smiles at the youngest Slayer's speech. Irene admired Wendy's spirit and nodded approvingly. Anna had to wipe a stray tear with her dainty finger as she too was proud at the maturity and heart of the Sky Maiden. The boys, Gray included couldn't help but smile in appreciation at the girl's words. The Exceeds of course beamed in pride with Happy and Carla wiping off tears.

The bluenette's next words immediately brought Natsu out of whatever funk he was in for those few moments. She smiled gently as she wiped her own tears before brushing his own.

"And we will go back to Fairy Tail together. All of us, including you Natsu. Lucy is there and you don't want to break her heart do you?" She questioned with a bright smile.

Natsu found himself slowly smiling back before he lowered his head. In a brief bath of darkness, one shining light broke through and brought him back from the brink.

( _"I thank whatever god or gods are out there that brought my friends to me… including Wendy. I was alone after Igneel left but now…"_ )

Happy ran up and hugged Natsu's torso with watery eyes and a smile. The fire breather kept one arm wrapped around Wendy while he used his other to clutch his best friend.

( _"I'm not alone anymore. And I won't be so long as I fight to keep it that way. Dragon, Demon it doesn't matter anymore. I'm still me."_ )

After several moments, he slowly stood up letting both his friends go. Happy had wiped away his remaining tears and was smiling his usual smile while looking up at his best friend. Carla joined Wendy's side and they both beamed up at Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer slowly glanced at the trio before looking at the other Slayers and Exceeds.

Gajeel crossed his arms and gave a grin of support, same as Lily. Sting and Lector offered blinding smiles and a thumbs up of encouragement. Rogue gave his rare small smiles while nodding in approval. On top of the Shadow Dragon Slayer's was a much more cheerful Frosch, doing what Frosch does… lightening the mood with pure innocence.

Gray came over and placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder.

"She's right. We're in this together. At last I checked it's not over yet."

The ice mage gave his rival a good squeeze and the smirk on his face grew.

"Lucy is waiting for you back home so until we find our way home we'll watch your back. Count on it." He stated.

Natsu nodded and grinned a toothy grin. The truth hurt, it really did. But he had people he could lean on. His fellow Dragon Slayers and his Devil Slayer rival were in his corner. His spirit and heart swelled at how supporting his comrades were. It made him remember the most important things in life.

Anna and Irene stood up before slowly walking over to the group that had started to gather now, everyone getting in on this feel good moment. Natsu looked back at Igneel.

"I appreciate you guys telling us everything, especially you Dad."

Igneel would have cried but he didn't. He just grinned in pride and nodded. The weight of the truth had been lifted off of his shoulders and he could finally be at peace with everything.

"Even though you had your reasons for not telling us anything, we won't hold it against you. So thank you." Natsu said with a smile.

"Anytime… my son." Igneel replied softly.

The group stood there smiling collectively. Though the truth had weighed them down some but it didn't really matter. They understood that the past didn't define who they were but they would gladly carry it with them. Their past had help shape them into who they were now and they would use the lessons and memories of the past to push forward from the here and now into a better future.

"I'm glad we've got that out of the way but what now?" Anna questioned thoughtfully.

They all glanced at each other before taking thoughtful postures.

"Well as it stands we need to learn the workings of this world, find the right kind of allies and save the dragons." Irene commented as she crossed her arms and jutted out her hip.

Everyone agreed to that short assessment. If they were going to survive and get stronger they first needed to find a way to save the dragons since their souls were damaged.

"Plus we need to figure out a way to help Natsu. If he's an Etherious like the others, he'll die if someone kills Zeref or destroys the book." Anna said with a frown.

They all looked to the Dragon Slayer in question with slightly worried looks as he crossed his arms. If they were going to beat the two greatest threats to their world, they needed Natsu Dragneel by their side, fighting every step of the way. And yet, no one had a clear answer as to how they were going to save the dragons damaged souls as well as save the hybrid in their group.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance."

Everyone's eyes widened before snapping their heads in the direction of a part of the clearing. Out of the tree line came four figures, two feminine and two imposing males.

The first was a muscular man who wore a pure white toga, had golden bracers on his forearms, long white hair and a righteous looking white beard. His eyes were pure white but glowed.

The second was another muscular man wearing armor none had seen before. He wore a golden helm with a black faceguard where the triangular opening revealed only glowing white eyes. He had on a red skirt typically worn by soldiers from the days Ancient Greece. The bracers, sandals and chest protection were black with ornamented gold designs. The chest piece had a short red cape attached that covered his left shoulder. On his back were a spear and a shield.

The first woman wore a long white toga, with the left half exposing an armored covered chest. On her right shoulder was a protective shoulder piece while both forearms were covered in golden braces. Her dirty blonde hair was braided like a crown while also letting a small ponytail hang down past neck level. Lastly she had on two golden earrings shaped like diamonds. Unlike her male companions her eyes did not glow but instead were sea colored blue. She walked with a staff in her hand.

The second woman wore dark colored pants made from the skins of animals, a beige colored tank top and an animal vest, complimented by a necklace made from the canines of predators. Her skin was a more dark skinned than her companions and instead of a fancy braid, she had black hair tied into a high ponytail with two long bangs framing her face. Her forearms were covered by leather made bracers and she wore heeled brown boots that went up to her knees. On her back was a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

The four strangers approached putting the group on edge. The Dragons were already on their feet ready to pounce. The Slayers had shifted their stances, waiting for the moment to take action while the Exceeds (with the exception of Lily) hid behind them. Irene summoned her staff and stood between the two groups while Anna was at her side.

After several more seconds ticked by, the four strangers stopped several meters from the strangest assortment of people they had seen in quite some time.

"Who are you?" Irene asked with an authoritative tone.

The white haired man stepped forward, ignoring the fact his heavily armored companion's scoff. He was an imposing sight. The man looked like his muscles were carved out of granite and built like it too. He one hand behind his back while the other stroked his beard. And Irene couldn't help but be surprised at the fact the man was smiling. It was a warm, welcoming smile that honestly caught her off guard.

"My name is Zeus. Leader of the Olympians and a god." He stated.

Their eyes all widened and they couldn't help but freeze up. It was like meeting Great Red all over again.

"And I think I have solutions to your problems, visitors from Earth Land." Zeus stated with a chuckle.

They blinked owlishly before glancing at each other, Natsu having the only intelligible answer to give.

"Say what now?"

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter bites the dust.**

 **So this chapter was an info dump as well as our group meeting Great Red and Gentiana leaving the group so she could return to Earth Land. And what about the change in her appearance? You Final Fantasy fans should realize who she is by now if you haven't already.**

 **And if you guys want to get a good idea of what her appearance is now, check out the summons from Dissidia NT and you'll get a better idea there. I like her FFXV appearance in her other form as well but I decided to go with the Dissidia version.**

 **Gentiana won't be making an appearance for the foreseeable future given her duties. Same with Great Red.**

 **Anyways, Natsu and his fellow Dragon Slayers have discovered the truth of their past. Natsu now knows he's END, as well as Zeref's brother and Gray has a hard time coming to grips with that. Is the issue totally dead? No but they are taking their first steps in dealing with it civilly. If you've read the entire Alvarez Arc you know what I'm talking about.**

 **Plus the group met Zeus and a few Olympians. Other than teachers what other roles will they play? Stay tuned.**

 **By the way, think of Artemis like Yoruichi from Bleach somewhat. Lol she's the sly half who's also good at fighting.**

 **Zeus is like Obi-Wan Kenobi for the most part. In the past he was more like the guy we know from mythology and the God Of War series. Now though, he's just a wise, powerful, kind and benevolent deity.**

 **For questions about the timeline, at this point the group arrives in January, roughly three months or so before the story of DxD officially starts. Rest assured, those three months will pass quickly in the next chapter (maybe two for sake of cutting the chapter down). Then the real fun starts.**

 **Now for the sake of the story, a good chunk of the meet and greet following Zeus' introduction gets skipped. For the next chapter everyone gets a crash course in Supernatural 101: Earth Edition. Then comes the training montage along with the weapons reveal. I'll let you guys speculate what type of weapons the Slayers are getting, don't want to ruin the surprise.**

 **As always I thank you guys the readers, viewers and fellow authors on the site for taking the time to take interest in the story. I know this reboot isn't what some of you expected or liked but I appreciate you guys sticking with me and the story.**

 **See ya next time!**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm back! (Terminator impression)**

 **(Briefly plays the Terminator theme [Judgment Day or Genisys take your pick])**

 **First things first, I just want to say thank you for being patient with me and this story. If you sat through and read the first three chapters to get this far, I commend you for staying with me. I know it isn't easy when all of you are eager to get into the juicy, more action oriented bits of the story but you guys and gals were troopers about it. If you decided to skip the first set of chapters just to get to this one… XD**

 **Honestly I got nothing. Lol**

 **If you skipped ahead just to get to this chapter, I don't hold it against you nor do I blame you for doing so. But if you are confused in any way shape or form, I'll be more than happy to answer questions. I take care of all my readers as best I can.**

 **So what's in store for this chapter? As I said before in the Author's Note of the last chapter, this chapter will be training and a weapons reveal. Plus some other interesting bits that contribute to the overall story going forward. However, due to what I aimed for in terms of chapter length, the training portion will get bumped into the next chapter. Meaning there will be one more chapter before we jump straight into the first story arc of DxD. And there will be some changes to the DxD timeline that will be easily noticed.**

 **There are some parts of this story that will be added later as Bonus Chapters/OVAs to compliment previous chapters. In fact there are three bonus chapters (possibly more) that cover events that happen in the 3 month Time Skip that is in the next chapter. But those bonus chapters won't be published for a while.**

 **Lastly, I got opening and ending themes for each part of the story now, I just don't have the opening and ending scenes made. I might come back and add them later but at least I got the general themes going forward. Sadly, you DxD fans will probably not like the fact that not a single opening or ending theme I featured will be from the series. My research has been oriented to the Light Novel, Manga and even the side story starring Asia and Koneko. As far as my research is concerned, the anime so far has been a no go for me until I see the need to actually watch it (*cough* fanservice! *cough*).**

 **By the way… if I didn't say it before I will now, Dragon Cry will be a story arc. The two filler arcs and Phoenix Priestess movie were made canon in this story if you guys skipped the prologue. And the anime only episodes are canon too. I would add the spin-offs but that's for my other story.**

 **One more thing… NaLi (Natsu and Lisanna) has been confirmed in this story. So is NaLu (Natsu and Lucy). Why? Mainly because canon setup opportunities for both but the story leaned more towards Natsu and Lucy being together… somewhat. Based on past events within the Fairy Tail timeline, Natsu will be with both Lucy and Lisanna. You're welcome. As far as any other girls else being added to Natsu's harem, that reveal will come as the story progresses. If you have issues with either girl being with Natsu this story is not for you and I wish you well.**

 **One more thing… if you have complaints about too many characters then guess what… we got guest stars this chapter. Hell, Kuoh Academy even has more guest stars that are just extras if anything. Some even get introduced in the next few chapters. But some guest stars get to shine in bonus chapters I have planned. As a tradeoff though, we will be sending off Igneel and the other dragons. How you ask? Read the story. Lol**

 **I will probably explain my madness behind guest characters later but for now let's move on.**

 **Hooray for 100 Followers! Thanks everyone!**

 **(*Champagne pops*, *Confetti rains*)**

 **Guess it's time for the disclaimer then the story.**

…

…

 **Oh and today's guest stars come from the [Redacted].**

 **(*Slowly increases train speed*, *Display reads 200 mph*)**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **The Original Authors of Slayers of DxD were (and still are) Crossover Wizard Master and** **dude932. All credit for the original intent of the story goes to them.**

 **Hiro Mashima and any related parties own Fairy Tail and any related spin-offs, sequels or products of any kind with regards to the series**

 **Ichiei Ishibumi and Miyama-Zero along with any related parties own High School DxD and any related products of any kind with regards to the series.**

 **All characters from [Redacted] that are making their appearance are owned by [Redacted] and created by [Redacted]. All rights goes to their respective creators.**

 **Any characters, places and ideas used in this story do not belong to me. (Unless I specify for sure.)**

 **Music, Songs and Soundtracks featured in this story do not belong to me and are used for the readers benefit (mostly my own just because lol).**

 **Use and/or mentions of historical figures, pop culture icons, religion and religious figures in general will be in this story for purely entertainment purposes.**

* * *

 **Mt. Olympus**

 **Olympic Gardens (Gardens of Olympus)**

 **Daytime**

Mount Olympus…

To the human inhabitants of Earth, most saw Mount Olympus as the highest mountain peak in all of Greece. Those who were avid followers of mythology believed that the real life Mount Olympus was a gateway of sorts to the Olympus of folklore.

To be clear, mortals were never allowed to enter the hallowed grounds of the Olympians unless they had permission. There were exceptions back in the ancient days but those days were long gone.

As it stood no mortal had stepped foot in the hallowed halls where the Gods resided for several centuries… that was about to change soon.

Hera, the Queen of Olympus was tending to the gardens while humming one of her favorite tunes **[1]**. She wore an elegant red dress with gold trim, splits on both sides to expose her gorgeous legs. She also wore a short white cape with gold trim that also covered her arms at times. Like all the Olympians she wore golden ornamented bracers. Her brown hair was done an elegant bun as well as a long braid that went down to the middle of her back. Her lavender colored irises were well complimented by the gold and purple earrings she wore as well as the golden ornamented crown on her head.

As the story goes, Hera was Zeus' sister as well as his wife. In the ancient days, when Zeus fooled around with numerous women, giving birth to several powerful figures, she was absolutely furious. After that she swore vengeance upon the women and children who essentially wronged her. She was well within her right of course…

Time passed on and after several spats with Zeus and the rest of her Olympians, things finally came to a head. She and Zeus decided that things needed to be settled once and for all… so they fought.

For several days and nights the King and Queen of Olympus fought a battle, both holding back from delivering a killing blow at their opponents weakest. This dance continued until the other Olympians intervened. The demigods of Olympus even stepped in and after several sessions of family group therapy, harmony reigned in Olympus once again. Heck, she even grew closer to the children that weren't hers and did her best to make up for her misdeeds. Zeus even reformed and offered an apology. The leader of Olympus had come to realize just how precious life was, even as a god.

Humanity evolved and while most may have forgotten about the Olympians, the Olympians didn't forget about humanity nor did they forget about their duties as members of the supernatural world.

Hera shook her head and smiled as she smelled one of the roses hanging on the wall. The beauty of her home always brightened her day when she woke up.

( _"The only other beauty of nature that can match our gardens would be the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Such a shame that a marvel like that was lost to history though…"_ ) She thought with a disappointed frown.

A sudden surge of power and a familiar presence erased the frown and brought a smile to the queen's face. She turned around to and greeted this new presence with a bow.

"Welcome back my dear. How are things on Earth?"

A chuckle brought her up from her bowing position to see the ever so ruggedly handsome face of her king… Zeus.

"The usual as always my queen. Nothing new to report as of late, although there have been rumblings with… those three." He responded as he stroked his beard with one hand.

"Ah yes… those three." She said, nodding in understanding.

The three they were both referring to were the Devils, Angels and Fallen. All three races were a part of one of if not the most major conflict since the Supernatural world came into fruition. Since the conflict known as the Great War, the other factions had kept a considerable distance from those three factions maintaining minimal ties. It was only several decades ago when factions like the Olympians began building a network towards the factions of the Great War.

Zeus asked Hades to spy on all matters within the Underworld since he had to share a realm with both the Fallen and the Devils. The King himself along with the rest of the Olympians decided on a more diplomatic approach with the Angels, seeing they were more cooperative and much more peace minded. Still, Zeus kept in mind contingencies for covert operations into all matters involving the Church.

Hera turned away from Zeus, squatting down near a row of assorted exotic plants and found they needed to be watered.

"Besides that, anything else you wish to discuss?"

Zeus stopped stroking his beard and brought both arms forward, crossing them over his chest.

"We have some visitors. A rather unique bunch if I say so myself." He said with a chipper tone.

Hera stumbled for a moment, blinking a few moments before composing herself to water the plants.

"Oh? Is that right?" she questioned in an amused tone.

"Why yes. Yes it is."

Although he was smiling and although he was king, Zeus still had to obey the rules he set forth. In addition to that, his wife always did her best to hold him accountable so at the moment he was feeling a little anxious.

"They're mortals aren't they?" she deadpanned.

Zeus deadpanned right back before giving her a reply.

"And some dragons too. Not to mention they have talking cats with them."

"Ah."

Hera set down the watering canteen for the plants before standing up straighter and making last minute adjustments to her appearance. Zeus already knew she expected an explanation because in the next few minutes they were going to be visiting their guests.

She walked towards the exit of the large room before stopping to glance over her shoulder.

"Shall we?"

Zeus dropped his arms to his side as he sighed (unintentional rhyme). He quickly followed after her before dropping to her pace as they walked through the large hallways within Olympus.

"What can you tell me about these mortals dear Zeus? They must be quite the interesting bunch for you to bring them here to our home."

"Well… it happened something like this…" He began.

* * *

 **Random chamber in Olympus**

"Wonder where that Zeus guy ran off to…"

"Who knows. Way I see it, if he can save our dragons then I think we should give him a chance."

"That and he's a god so let's try to stay on his good side while we're here."

"The hell you looking at me for droopy?! I ain't that crazy enough to pick a fight him!"

"Yes you are sulfur brains! You and metal head looked ready to brawl with him the moment you both saw him!"

"Don't go throwin' me in there with Salamander you strip happy freak!"

"The hell you say?!"

"Did I stutter boxers?!"

"It's time for you guys to chill out!"

"I'm all fired up now!"

Natsu, Gray and Gajeel had succumbed to boredom and decided to start up a conversation not too long after their group had arrived to Olympus. Obviously that conversation quickly escalated to an argument before going into a brawl which they were having now.

Nearby the dragons were huddled in a group next to the Exceeds, Anna, Irene, Rogue, Wendy and Sting.

The Sky Dragon Slayer turned to Sting and Rogue with a frown.

"Maybe we should stop them…" the bluenette said worriedly.

"I wouldn't worry about it Wendy. It's just the boredom getting to them, they'll be fine." Sting waved off with a smile.

"Hn." Rogue seconded as he crossed his arms.

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch commented randomly.

"I guess so…" Wendy said nervously.

The Dragons were relaxing, resting in the back of the large room. The Exceeds were with the Slayers with enough maturity.

…

Correction, the Exceeds were with the Slayers who could handle the boredom.

"Even when we're guests they can't handle being in the same room together. This is just unacceptable." Carla commented disapprovingly.

"We're far from home and visiting actual Gods. Plus with way things are going, someone was bound to get a little stir crazy." Lily reasoned.

"At least they aren't destroying anything." Happy said while holding a fish.

"Thank heavens for that…" Carla sighed out.

Irene was back in her usual outfit (staff included), as was Anna. Like the others, they had appraising the inner halls of Olympus. While the Slayers and Exceeds were quite awestruck with Olympus and its appearance, the two women's reaction were more subdued.

"I have to admit, this place puts the palace in Alvarez to shame." Irene complimented with a smile.

"And then some I might add. I'll even put money that Olympus blows the palace in Crocus out of the water." Anna added with a smile of her own.

Irene hummed in agreement as she had seen the Mercurius a time or two when gathering information on Fiore. The ladies looked over to see the rest of their group, gauging their overall moods and status.

"Zeus said that he might have a solution to our problems. I wonder what he has in mind…" Irene thought aloud.

Anna hummed as to relay she had the same thought. When the sound of footsteps hit their ears they turned to the doorway to see Zeus approaching with a beautiful brunette in tow.

"These are the ones I told you of Hera." Zeus stated, gesturing towards the group.

The dragons perked up from their nap while Gray, Natsu and Gajeel managed to stop fighting just to see Zeus and some woman standing next to him. Collectively, the Exceeds, Slayers, Anna and Irene all gathered around the king and queen of Olympus.

"Greetings, everyone. My name is Hera and I am the Queen of Olympus. It is very nice to meet you all." Hera greeted with a bow.

Everyone smiled before bowing, including the trio of boys that were fighting earlier. Irene was the first to speak, since she represented the group as a whole.

"It is quite an honor to meet a God and a queen at the same time. We do thank you for allowing us to be here as guests in your home."

"It's honestly the least we can do for such brave souls. Although, I was a little bit surprised when Zeus first told me about you all, we rarely get visitors from other worlds." Hera stated humorously.

Irene nodded and her smile grew. She definitely liked Hera and was definitely going to enjoy her stay here for the time being. Hera then cleared her throat before getting serious, making everyone else get serious too.

"Now then, as much as I would rather get acquainted with you all and give the tour of our home we have business to discuss."

Irene nodded as Anna stepped forward, ready to help fill in any gaps in the explanation to come.

"Where would you like to start Lady Hera?" Anna asked.

The king and queen shared a glance before nodding. They turned their attention back to the representatives of the group with several questions at the ready.

"I want to hear the children's stories later. What am I curious about are the dragons and how they were able to seal themselves inside the children's bodies. In addition to that I need any other details that may be of help." Hera requested.

So Irene and Anna did just that, with Anna covering most of the explanation. Hera was already briefed on what Zeus overheard when he eavesdropped on the group earlier that morning, meaning gaps needed to be filled.

According to what Anna was told, the dragons had used a special sealing spell known as **Dragon Soul** that sent their entire being into the soul of their designated target. The goal was prevent the Dragon Slayers from becoming like Acnologia and even Irene while also serving the purpose of healing the dragons themselves since their souls were damaged fighting the Black Dragon.

Irene filled in the gaps, explaining to Hera the origins and workings of Dragon Slayers magic. She even threw in the detail of how she fell victim to the antibodies that were mentioned in Anna's explanation.

Hera took this information calmly and was already formulating a plan. This was going to be rather tricky, especially considering the fact the one known as Natsu was also part Etherious. His demonic signature differed from that of the Devils of her world. But at the same time though it was similar… how bizarre.

After a few minutes Hera had come up with something… but it was going to be a gamble.

"Now that I have heard everything, I believe I have a solution to your dilemma."

Everyone smiled as the Slayers and Exceeds breathed a collective sigh of relief. It seemed things were looking up.

"Well your highness don't keep us in suspense." Sting joked.

"Yeah. What's the plan?" Natsu eagerly asked.

Hera eyed them with a look in her eyes the group quite couldn't place. There was concern mixed with curiosity and mischief that was supplanted by the smile that graced her face.

Most of the group was rather confused as to why she had that look on her face. She summoned forth a notepad and a pen. (Yes, an actual notepad and a pen. Olympians would rather not run out of scrolls if they can.)

Hera wrote down several things on a sheet attached to the notepad before ripping it off and handing it to Zeus.

"Could you get these things for me dear? It would be a very big help."

Zeus looked over the list, raising an eyebrow being rather intrigued by what was on it. The group themselves were rather curious as to what was on the list and how it related to their predicament.

"Certainly. In fact I have a few things myself that could definitely help." He said with a nod.

Hera beamed him a smile of gratitude before he teleported in a flash of lightning and thunder, nearly blinding everyone present. After taking a moment to shake off their discomfort (especially Lily who clung to Gajeel for dear life), the group's attention was brought back to Hera who had a smile that somehow sent shivers down most of the group's respective spines.

"Now then… let's get started shall we."

 **A Few of Hours Later (+ a montage of elaborate setups and the like)**

All Hera told the group was she had a plan that would work but all the details were shared with the dragons, Anna and Irene leaving the Slayers and Exceeds out of the loop. Judging by the rather serious expressions their chaperones had, the Slayers were rather anxious at what was in store.

Their suspicions were well warranted when after a couple of hours of prep work mixed with some good ol' fashion elbow grease, the chamber they occupied was converted into something else entirely.

"Okay… so what are we doing again?" Natsu asked with a questionable look.

Apparently the plan involved the five Dragon Slayers lying on elevated slabs that were makeshift operating tables. The slabs themselves were encircling a small circle with a floating orb of pure power. Although some of the orb contained magic, the rest of it contained other energies completely foreign to them.

"It's rather simple really…"

The Dragon Slayers craned their necks or shifted their eyes to watch the Queen of Olympus closely. She was tending to the various ritual circles that the dragons were standing in.

"We've modified the **Dragon Soul** technique. Due to the extra caveats that came up when devising a plan, there will be some momentary discomfort as the ritual is being done." Hera explained briefly.

That didn't sound so good. If one thing were to go wrong, there would be devastating consequences. This was a matter of life and death yet Hera was taking it all in strides like it was Tuesday.

"O-oh is that all? No pressure I guess…" Natsu said with a shaky smile.

"U-um is it too late t-to go to the bathroom?" Wendy shakily asked.

"I didn't sign up for this…" Gajeel grumbled irritably.

The Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers weren't doing so hot with the brief explanation and neither were the Twin Dragons of Saber. Sting looked over with a shaky smile of his own, failing miserably at masking his anxiety.

"We'll be okay. Everything will be alright. Right Rogue?" He asked with a nervous laugh.

The White Dragon Slayer was met with silence as Rogue laid there in a deep meditative state.

"Rogue?! Don't you ignore me you bastard! Wake the hell up!" Sting roared in comical anger.

"Oi Lyos! Wake up dammit! Wake up!" Gajeel yelled enraged.

As Gajeel and Sting were yelling obscenities and curses at their unconscious Slayer comrade, Hera took a moment to sigh.

( _"On the verge of exiting their teens and yet they act like such children. I only told them it was going to be some slight discomfort."_ ) Hera thought with a frown.

She did a double take before giggling in mischief, not missed by the other occupants in the room namely Irene and the dragons. The Queen of Dragons had to hold in a shiver at Hera's secret sadist side coming out.

( _"Of course it's going to be painful. It's only a little pain, why be such big babies about it? It's not even going to last that long."_ ) Hera silently said with a sly grin.

The ritual that was about to be performed would indeed be painful. She didn't want to get too much into detail about the process of what was about to go down.

Earlier when she discussed her plan with the dragons and the two older women of the group, they took it better than she expected. That didn't mean they liked it though.

 **Dragon Soul** was going to be combined with a series of special sealing spells as well as an orb of raw cosmic energy. The orb itself was provided by Great Red himself as part of a deal worked out between him and Zeus. What that deal was no one knew. But without the orb being in the ritual, there would be possible complications as well as unforeseen consequences if the sealing was not performed correctly. Hera took into account all the factors that included all… that's right ALL of the Slayers powers as well as that of the Exceeds, Irene and Anna. Given all of Hera's guests were from another world she had to think of a remedy, Zeus did so as well.

For the Exceeds, Anna and Irene, the Olympian royalty split off pieces of the orb and performed several small rituals to ensure that the rest of the group didn't run out of magic power. In addition to that, they all received a bonus the Slayers would be granted as well… none of them would need magic containers after all was said and done. Irene, Anna and the Slayers could very well train beyond their limits and exceed the powers they held without the limitations of a magic container. This meant that Hera's guests could now train to rival some of the strongest mortal beings of her world (even though they could easily do so before). And this also meant that once they returned to their world, they could absorb Ethernano (magic based element natural to Earth Land, so there are no drawbacks), eat, rest and recover all the same without worrying about the strain brought on by having magic containers. They would easily rival the strongest wizards, mages and mythical beasts of their world. Hera was giddy and joyous at the prospect.

Now here comes the downside of performing the ritual…

The Dragon Slayers would suffer great agony in having their respective dragons souls bonded to their own. The ritual could easily end up tearing their bodies apart due to the enormous amount of power being channeled in. Not only that, the dragons themselves would lose their physical bodies as a sacrifice. Hera didn't like the idea of doing this to young mortals, especially the cute bluenette known as Wendy. But as she learned in her time as a deity, sacrifices are necessary to save what matters most. And if what she assumed about their willpower was true, then the Slayers should have no issues suffering for a few minutes just to gain an advantage.

Hera looked at the dragons as they sat up straight, awaiting the ritual's start. The Exceeds were absent from the chamber as they went off with Anna to get some food and explore Olympus some. Anna of course was playing the role of distracting the Exceeds from what was about to begin. The Heartfillia ancestor understood this ritual couldn't have interruptions. As for Irene…

"Lady Hera, are we ready to begin?"

She stayed behind to oversee preparations as well as help Gray Fullbuster with something he was doing. Irene walked over to Hera's side as they stood in front of Igneel. Said Fire Dragon King was watching his adopted son squirm at whatever unknown was about to happen to him.

"Yes. I'm just making the final adjustments. Where is young Fullbuster?"

"He's right here."

Both ladies looked over to see Gray sitting on an extra slab right between Natsu and Sting. He was holding the mysterious blue orb with several symbols on it. This was the same orb given to Anna by Gentiana. Apparently, this orb held a new power that would help balance out the darkness within Gray's new Devil Slayer power. He jumped at the opportunity much to Anna's relief.

"So now what?" Gray asked.

Irene and Hera walked up to Gray with wide smirks that were making him nervous and apparently the Dragon Slayers saw this too.

"Simply focus your energy into the orb. Don't worry about it breaking because the orb will simply absorb the magic energy you send into it." Hera explained.

"As for the rest of you, it's time to get some sleep." Irene announced.

Natsu caught off guard by this wanted to get a word in.

"Wait a minute! I-"

With a wave of her hand, Hera knocked out all the Dragon Slayers with a sleeping spell. Gray looked around in shock before gulping.

"Focus Gray. We need to complete the ritual and can't afford to waste more time." Irene cautioned.

So not wasting another moment, Gray nodded his head before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He did as instructed and the orb glowed as the Ice mage's magic flowed into it.

Hera then began the ritual, weaving several hand signs and speaking in a mix of Greek and Latin. Irene went over near the doorway to the chamber and watched on. After another set of chants from the Queen of Olympus, the orb in the center began to glow brighter and brighter, cackling off energy as it did. As Gray was in the progress of the fusing the orb into his being, it exploded without warning sending phantom shards every direction. Irene furrowed her brows as it seemed that the orb Gentiana provided wasn't what it was promised. That thought flew out the window really quickly when the phantom shards formed into various weapons, 13 in total.

Gray had panicked at first when the orb blew up on him. He cursed mentally when he felt like he screwed up and knew that the consequences would be more than a verbal lashing. And just as he was about to try and literally pick up the pieces, the shards from the orb started to form into strange ethereal weapons floating in air. He sat on the slab shocked, unaware of the growing energy of the orb behind him.

( _"The hell?"_ )

The weapons hung in midair for what seemed for an eternity before they started to slowly spin in a circle. Gray watched, transfixed as the weapons gained a little steam before he was caught off guard yet again. The weapons seemingly stopped before tilting themselves, pointing straight at him… before ramming themselves into his soul. Gray froze for a moment thinking he was going to die until he realized he wasn't dead. All the weapons had converged on where his heart was, his chest glowing with a blue circle. At feeling the sudden surge of power Gray smiled almost giddily. He started to let out a laugh before he looked over to see the pleased smiles of Irene and Hera.

"It worked! It freaking worked! This feels incredible!" Gray exclaimed excitedly.

Hera shook her head with a sigh as Irene had herself an amused chuckle. Hera powered up her left hand before waving it in the air while Gray was in the midst of his happy rambling.

"Sleep."

Gray stopped with a normal face for a moment… before his eyes quickly closed and he was out like a light on the slab. Now the only sounds that could be heard were the snores of the Slayers and cackling of energy from the orb. Irene and Anna stood there for several moments as the dragons waited within their respective ritual circles.

"You know…"

Hera hummed and looked over to her redhead guest.

"We could have just let him ramble on you know?" Irene suggested with… a pout?

Hera grinned in response. She assumed Irene was rather enjoying herself at watching Gray ramble on like a happy fool. But they needed to press on with other matters.

"Yes but we have a ritual to start and can't afford to waste any more time."

"Of course." Irene sighed

Hera then clapped her hands twice, summoning many robed individuals that filed into the chamber. There were roughly twelve of these robed men and women in total; from a glance they knew magic of different types. The robed ones encircled the slabs where the Slayers all lie. One by one each robed… 'sorcerer and sorceress' raised their hands and began chanting in different languages one of them obviously being Greek.

Hera stepped forward and a violet and gold magic circle lit up beneath her feet. Her eyes glowed gold as she outstretched her hands and chanted in the native Olympian tongue.

Irene walked over to Igneel as his own ritual circle glowed red. The Fire Dragon King peered down at the former Queen of Dragnof with a solemn but serious expression.

"Take good care of them. You and Anna will have to guide them in this strange, new world. I don't know what dangers may await in the future but I humbly ask that you be by their side." He rumbled.

Irene smiled a genuine smile and bowed her head in respect.

"Of course, Igneel."

Each ritual circle for the dragons lit up with specific colors, all of the colors the same as their respective Slayer's magic circles. The ball of energy cackled more violently and the chanting continued. Irene slowly stepped back as Igneel was engulfed in a red pillar of light but not before he gave some parting words.

"Good luck and farewell, your highness."

"Farewell Fire Dragon King." She responded in kind.

Moments later the dragons were then funneled into each of their respective Slayers chests. That is where the pain began.

Although they were still unconscious, they could all physically feel pain. The surge of energy within each of their bodies felt like a rush at first. Like a dam breaking allowing the free flow of water, the Slayers felt the growing overflow of pure power that supercharged their very being. But that blissful feeling of being able to take on anything lasted a few seconds before the feeling changed. Now they felt that their senses, nerves, blood vessels and very organs were on fire. They collectively felt like they were being stabbed countlessly while being hit with lightning stronger than anything Laxus could even generate. Although all of them were doing their best to keep the pain hidden the one who had it worst was Natsu.

The Fire Dragon's Slayer body was seizing up as he roared in pure anguish. Lacerations and cuts erupted across his body, splashing blood everywhere around him. The fresh clothes provided by Irene previously were now stained dark red and shredded. The only thing that seemed to be keeping his body together was his willpower working overtime. Irene could only grimace at the sight, hoping that Igneel's very spirit was aiding his adoptive son in this life and death struggle.

Then the strangest thing happened several minutes after the ritual began. Irene watched as there was a noticeable change in the energy gathering around Natsu and Gajeel. She remembered both of them being the Fire and Iron Dragon Slayer's respectively. So the sight before her begged the question… what on Earth Land was she seeing?

For Gajeel half his body was encompassed in Iron scales while the other half was encompassed in shadows. Just how was that possible? What Irene didn't know was that Gajeel had absorbed some of Rogue's Shadow Dragon Slayer magic during the Grand Magic Games roughly a month or two earlier back in Earth Land when they fought. When combining both magics, Gajeel had called his new form **Iron Shadow Dragon Mode**. After the ritual is done and Gajeel wakes up, he was going to have to think of a new name for his Dragon Slayer Magic.

As for Natsu… it was rather unique. The salmon haired teen was encompassed in flames, given he is the Fire Dragon Slayer it would be obvious. But the strangeness started with the flames itself as well as the other element present. First thing to note, Natsu's flames were rapidly changing colors from a series of reds, yellows and oranges to dark colored, greyish black flames. Irene made mental notes that as Natsu's flames changed color, the temperature and intensity of the flames of themselves fluctuated. And the second thing to note was the dance of lightning across both Natsu's flames as well as his body. Bolts of yellow and blue crackled over him, unbound like a mad dog on a leash.

Overall, Irene muttered a silent prayer, hoping the Slayers could hold out against the pain they were experiencing.

( _"We're almost done everyone… you must hold on."_ ) She silently urged.

As the ritual was nearing its completion, the respective magic power of each Slayer surged to phenomenal levels stunning Irene at how high they had gone. The peak she sensed from each of them leveled out before tanking back to reasonable levels. The ball of energy that had been the source of the ritual lost a good amount of its luster and slowly started to solidify. Natsu's howling had died down to incoherent groans like the rest of his comrades.

And in moments the ritual had finished.

The dragons were no longer present in their circles. They seemingly vanished into thin air without a trace.

The Slayers were alive, with Natsu being very close to the sole exception. The poor boy was hanging on by a thread and the blood pooling under him was a very good indication of his condition.

And Hera had to take a moment to compose herself before ordering the robed men and women to address the Slayers wounds. She would lead the way when it came to Natsu as she was all too aware of the pain he experienced during the ritual proceedings. Irene walked steadily over to her as she stood over Natsu's vulnerable form. Irene took a moment to look the adopted son of Igneel over before giving him a pitying look.

Natsu was going to have some new scars when this was over. Three slash marks now appeared over his left pectoral muscle. On his right cheek was a deep scar, evident of the energy from earlier trying to find an avenue of escape. There were more cuts on his legs but those scars would be faint. The Queen of Dragons didn't even want to think of what scars Natsu gained on his back.

"It could be worse you know…" Hera said softly.

Irene hummed gave a curt nod in agreement. Several non-robed women had entered the room to help primarily with Natsu and his injuries. Hera helped where she could before she had to leave and report the ritual's result to Zeus as well as Anna and the Exceeds. Irene stayed behind as all of Hera's helpers had filed out of the room, similar to how they filed in earlier. She watched over each of the now comfortably sleeping forms of the Slayers. With the exception of Natsu, the others got off light with scrapes and minor bruising due to the stress of power swelling in their bodies.

Irene heard the faint sound of mumbling and looked over to see Wendy sleeping rather peacefully. On the little maiden's innocent looking face, Irene could spot the faint trail of drool leaking out the corner of the younger girl's mouth. The redheaded woman smiled one of her rare warm smiles before standing her staff upright and hanging her large hat on top. She walked over to the younger girl's makeshift bed, leaned over her and gently wiped the small bit of drool off with a handkerchief she summoned.

Wendy squirmed a little before yawning and rolling over on her side. The blanket on her body was gently adjusted by Irene before said redhead went about her business, retrieving her hat and staff.

( _"I wonder if this is what it's like to have children of your own…"_ ) She wondered.

"Lady Irene."

The Queen of Dragons was alerted to the approach of Hera and Zeus, both of whom were sporting serious expressions. This caused some confusion in Irene's mind, not concern.

"Yes?" she replied with a raised brow.

"I believe it is time we talked business. Please follow me." Zeus requested.

Irene looked over questioningly over at Hera, whose response was an assuring nod. This seemed to be legit so why not follow up?

"Very well. Lead the way please." Irene replied.

* * *

 **Meanwhile**

 **Inside Natsu's Soul**

Deep blue water from the ocean washed up on the shores of a lone island. At one end of the island, lying on the beach was the snoring form of Natsu Dragneel, dressed in his usual clothes consisting of his scaled scarf, navy overcoat, white pants and black sandals. However there were some changes physically that were new. The slash marks on his chest and the scar on his cheek were evident. Not only that, his right arm was bandaged from his wrist all the way up to his bicep, stopping short of his guild mark.

The snot bubble that had developed over time popped as Natsu yawned before slowly sitting up. He smacked his lips a few times before looking around slowly with half open eyes. He brought up a hand to run through his hair as he was fighting off the leftover grogginess.

"Man what a nap… my head's still spinning a bit." He uttered.

As he was slowly getting his bearings back a thought hit him… he wasn't in Olympus anymore.

Eyes widening in shock, the adopted son of Igneel shot to his feet, looking around to see where his friends were and where exactly he was.

"Guys! Anyone! Where are you?"

As he was frantically searching for his companions, Natsu turned fully around to catch a sight he had never seen before. Behind the large jungle, off in the background was a tall and active volcano. And even though the volcano was active, if the pyroclastic flow and plume cloud showed anything at all, the volcano itself posed no actual threat. In fact, the mere sight of the volcano was more welcoming than anything.

And that's when Natsu got the call.

His refreshed, renewed and upgraded senses alerted him to the sounds coming from the direction he was looking in.

( _"I can hear… a roar? And the impacts of lightning strikes. How though?"_ )

He adopted a serious expression before deciding then and there to seek out some answers. The teen marched on into the jungle without hesitation, not knowing what was ahead of him.

After what seemed like a couple of hours of wandering through the jungle, Natsu finally made it to the volcano's base. In front of him was an open air temple, with a large cave right behind it. The temple had architecture similar to that of the buildings found on Olympus. Natsu honestly wondered if the others were inside.

Making his way up a short set of steps, Natsu then passed the threshold between two inner pillars that acted a doorway. Once inside the temple, the Fire Dragon Slayer was in awe of everything around him. There were two sets of banners hanging on the pillars, one for Fairy Tail and one representing the mark of the Fire Dragon King. Between each of the pillars were displays of some kind that were showing Natsu's memories since birth.

The young mage had to stop for a moment as he saw one of his memories play out. In the memory it was him as an infant eating at the table with three people. One of those people was Zeref while the other two was an older male with his salmon colored hair and an older female with black hair like Zeref.

( _"They must be my parents…"_ )

Natsu walked some more before seeing another memory. In it this time was Anna Heartfillia knitting a scarf. The Fire breather smiled at this as he knew what this memory meant.

( _"So she made the scarf out of Igneel's scales huh? I need to thank her when I get out of here."_ )

It was after viewing that memory that Natsu saw the others. Each memory was a pivotal moment in his time on Earth Land from his life with Zeref, his death, to his rebirth all the way up his adventures with Fairy Tail.

( _"So… I can't be in Olympus. This place has stuff from my past and I mean all of my past."_ )

Natsu was absent mindedly making his way further into the temple before he stopped to see a fairly recent memory. His curious expression shifted to that of longing and soft remembrance. This memory was only a few months old…

The memory was the night of the royal banquet.

( _"Oh yeah… this is where I…"_ )

"… Asked Luce to dance with us while still wearing the goddamn crown."

A sickly, sinister voice snapped Natsu out of his thoughts. His head snapped to the middle of the temple where sitting on a charred throne was a young man covered by a grey tarp.

"And yeah I can't but help but agree… the princess is rather cute when she's embarrassed." The stranger stated.

Natsu ran to the front of the throne, getting into a combat ready stance with his eyes not leaving the stranger for a second.

"Who the hell are you?! And what do you mean by 'us'?!" He snarled.

The stranger laughed before slowly rising out of his seat. The tarp he had covering him only covered the upper portion, albeit barely. From what Natsu could tell the guy had pure white skin. He wore black wristbands on each arm, like Natsu did. The guy even wore pants like Natsu did except his were colored black. Instead of sandals the guy wore black combat boots. Lastly, Natsu saw what appeared to be a black muscle shirt with some custom print underneath the makeshift cloak.

"Isn't it obvious?" the stranger shot back.

The tarp was then whipped off the stranger's form and Natsu stared in stunned silence at this young man before him. To the young Dragon Slayer it was like looking into a mirror… a very twisted mirror.

The stranger had the 'Dragneel' grin, red irises with a black sclera, his spiky hair was white with red and black coloring at the tips. Above all else he looked just like…

"ME?!"

The stranger grinned before waving Natsu off nonchalantly.

"Yes and no. It's great to finally meet face to face with my other half." 'Natsu' said with a laugh.

The salmon haired teen was comically stunned, standing there not really knowing what to say or do. The other Natsu cackled his ass off at the salmon haired Natsu's expression.

"That's so fucking priceless! Man you should see yourself!"

The salmon haired teen just stood there longer at a loss. The other Natsu continued to cackle before eventually settling down. He stood up taller, placed his fists on his hips and grinned maniacally at his other half.

"So you want to know who I am right?"

Salmon haired Natsu nodded dumbly, not really trying to figure the puzzle out for himself.

"Well let me reintroduce myself there old chum."

Natsu blinked owlishly as he watched his mirror image do a mock bow.

"I'm the Flame Demon who has long forgotten his name. But you can call me E.N.D." He stated with a crazed grin.

…

…

"Wait say what now?"

* * *

 **Back on Olympus**

 **Zeus' Throne Room**

"Are you satisfied with what I have arranged Irene?"

While Natsu was off in his own soul dealing with a strange situation, Irene was led off to Zeus' throne room for an impromptu meeting with both the King and Queen of Olympus.

"Why yes actually. The hatchlings and our newly minted Devil Slayer will get the training they need." Irene began

"And we'll set you up with a temporary place to stay while you give us your aid on occasion." Hera finished

"Together we'll bring peace to the supernatural world. I may have left my humanity behind long ago but even I won't let innocents suffer. Not anymore."

Hera nodded and looked towards Zeus for his input.

"Once they wake, we will be sending you off towards the Paradise Islands."

He walked over towards the round map of the world placed on a table with Irene and Hera flanking his sides. He pointed towards a specific spot in the Atlantic at point just off the coast of southern Europe, ¾ a distance away from the United States.

"We were just here not that long ago when I picked you up." He reminded Irene.

She hummed in response before he continued.

"Now these islands are special not just due to their unique nature but the people that live there as well."

"Who are they?" the redhead inquired.

Hera summoned a book and passed it over to Irene. It was black book with an elegant gold trim and thousands of pages of content. The Queen of Dragons deduced there was a lot of historical and clerical knowledge that would answer most of her questions.

"They are known as the Amazons. They are an all-female society who are warriors first and foremost. Humans have on occasion stumbled into their territory but for the sake of keeping their existence a mere myth…"

"They kill them." Irene finished for him.

He nodded before he stroked his beard with his free hand.

"There are rare occasions where they simply wipe a visitor's or visitors minds as a show of mercy. This is especially the case if the visitors are women, children or elderly." He added.

Irene narrowed her eyes and hummed, content for now with the information.

"I take it I'll be reading about the full story of the Olympian faction in this book?" She questioned, gesturing to the book on the table.

"Up until the current date yes. We have additional books that cover the rest of the supernatural factions and we'll gladly provide them to you before you leave." Hera stated with a smile.

"Much appreciated Lady Hera." Irene thanked genuinely.

The redhead then turned her attention back to Zeus.

"So other than the Amazons, who else will be assisting in the children's training?"

Zeus stroked his beard as his smile grew to a grin. He eyed Hera out of his peripheral and she couldn't help but look back at him with a knowing smile.

"Let's just say I have made some arrangements that you will no doubt enjoy." He said cryptically.

Irene knew from that tone the children were in it deep now. She couldn't but be curious and also a little mischievous herself. Nearly losing her sanity did of course result in her gaining an inner sadist. She didn't torture people for sexual pleasure, heavens no… well that may or may not be true (the jury is still out). She enjoyed giving pain to those who annoyed her greatly or simply because they got in her way. It was a great way to cope with all that she suffered back during and after the Dragon King Festival.

Zeus walked back over and sat in his throne, Irene and Hera walking to stand in his view.

"Now that matter is settled. Next comes the basics of the supernatural of our world. Do you have any questions?"

Hera smiled as she looked over to Irene, who had to think for a moment. Irene looked Zeus dead in the eye with full confidence before voicing her first in the long line of questions.

"Tell me Almighty Zeus, what do you know about Demons?"

* * *

 **Back in Natsu's Soul**

Natsu and E.N.D. made their way out the back of the temple and directly into the cave.

"So E.N.D. where we goin?"

The Etherious spared Natsu a glance as they made their way deeper into the cave.

"To see the old man. After that ritual crap we just went through, you probably want some answers before waking up."

It had been quite the shock that Natsu was inside his own soul. He always imagined the inner makings of his world would be more fire and brimstone than an island paradise hosting a giant volcano. Oh and don't even get him started on the strange temple he just walked through!

Now he was being led into the large volcano to the one person who could help explain everything with regards to… well everything.

E.N.D. led Natsu through the long tunnel directly into the central chamber. The young teen looked around him, taking in the fact there were numerous lava pools around. On top of that, he swore he saw skulls, treasure chests and some weapons in several piles next to the lava pools.

"Oi! Wake up Old Man! I brought the idiot!" E.N.D. announced.

Natsu grew a tic mark and was about to give a retort until he saw something rising out of the large lava pit in front of him and his Etherious counterpart. Slowly and majestically, a large beast arose from the vat of molten slag. He spread his wings and raised his claws in the air, letting out a triumphant roar. Turns out this beast was a dragon and this dragon was…

( _"Holy crap it's Igneel!"_ )

The Fire Dragon King in all his glory was in Natsu's soul. Thanks to the ritual his scales were more vibrant, he was larger and healthier than before and not only that…

( _"Whoa check out his scales! Those gold ones must be new."_ )

"Natsu my boy! It's good to see you again!" Igneel greeted with a big grin.

"Is that really you Igneel? You look different." Natsu said with growing smile.

"Of course! Thanks to the ritual I feel like a brand new dragon!" The Dragon King stated before giving a hearty laugh.

Natsu placed his fists on his hips and smiled up at his foster father. E.N.D. just sat down on a rock and crossed his arms, grin still present. The Etherious had come to respect the power of Dragons ages ago when he still roamed Earth Land. His respect grew for members of Dragon Royalty like Igneel. They met when Igneel used **Dragon Soul** and placed himself inside Natsu's soul. Since then, even though they sometimes clashed, they grew to be good friends.

"But I take it you have questions as to why you're in your own soul correct?"

Natsu nodded in response. Igneel stepped out of the lava pool and sat down close to E.N.D. Natsu sat and crossed his legs ready to get some answers that were much needed.

"I guess we should start with the ritual itself and work our way from there."

Igneel then filled Natsu in on the ritual and its implications. Like the other dragons who were bonded to their own respective Dragon Slayer, Igneel was permanently bonded to Natsu's soul. The only sacrifice was that the dragons would no longer have physical bodies. When the Dragon Slayers die, their spirits would pass on with them. Although he was a bit bummed about his adoptive dad no longer having a body of his own, he was happy to at least have him back in his life for good, even if it was in his soul… again.

Next, E.N.D. chimed in to explain how the ritual changed Natsu's magic. At Natsu's immediate confusion, E.N.D. and Igneel elaborated further by first mention the fact Natsu no longer had a magical container. At his slight panic, the Etherious and the Fire Dragon King assured he could still use magic just differently. He could absorb not just Ethernano but also additional magical based elements similar to Ethernano. This was useful since they were now in a new world with new rules and a temporary set of allies. Plus the Dragon Slayer wouldn't be constantly worrying about his powers weakening. He could finally focus on getting stronger and returning back to Earth Land to end Zeref and Acnologia once and for all.

"So not only am I stronger but my magic has changed too?" Natsu prompted.

"Yeah. It's thanks to you our powers have not only changed but gotten stronger." E.N.D. said.

"Your consumption of other magic helped morph our powers into something even greater." Igneel stated.

"When did I eat other magic though?" Natsu asked confused.

E.N.D. deadpanned while Igneel had to suppress the urge to facepalm.

"You ate that phony Dragon Slayer's Lightning when fighting Hades on Tenrou. Seriously are you that much of a dumbass that you forgot about Lightning Fire/Flame Dragon Mode already?" E.N.D. remarked.

"And not only that you ate Etherion when fighting that blue haired son of a bitch Fernandes. Tell me how you forgot about being sick around the time of that festival your guild holds? By all means Natsu, please tell me." Igneel chimed in irritably.

"Oi! Ok, ok geez I get it."

Igneel sighed while E.N.D. again remarked how Natsu was a dumbass.

"Anyways, thanks to your consumption of other magic elements you have shaped our powers into something new. You not only wield the power of Fire but the power of Lightning as well."

"Meaning…?" Natsu trailed off with a slight grin.

"What Old Man Iggy's trying to tell you is that you are no longer the Fire Dragon Slayer. You're the Firestorm Dragon Slayer, the perfect mix of Fire and Lightning Dragon Slayer magic."

Firestorm Dragon Slayer huh? Natsu liked the sound of that.

"Which makes you the first ever Firestorm Dragon King right dad?" Natsu asked with a wide grin.

"You are absolutely right my boy! I'm the first and only Firestorm Dragon King to ever exist!" Igneel answered with a boisterous laugh.

Natsu joined in while E.N.D. was shaking his head in amusement. He wouldn't say it out loud but he was loving this little quality time he spent with his friend and his other half. Best part was he could do this more often once Natsu learned how to meditate… or whenever the Dragon Slayer was unconscious.

"But that's not the only thing." E.N.D. teased slightly.

Natsu looked over at E.N.D. questioningly hoping he would elaborate and he was not disappointed by what he was told.

"Thanks to one of your other stunts on Tenrou, you gained the power of a Fire God Slayer. And that power is now my power." E.N.D. finished with a wide grin.

At this the salmon haired teen could barely contain his excitement. He was by far the strongest mage in the group next to Irene. Not only that, when he would head back to Earth Land with the others he could finally surpass Gildarts.

"With all this power and training I'll finally be able to beat Gildarts!" Natsu exclaimed shooting to his feet.

Both Igneel and E.N.D. had sweat drops at Natsu's delusions. They didn't disagree with what he said but they found it rather weird that Natsu would think of that at times like these.

"Priorities man… priorities. As much as I want you to win against him too let's focus on getting stronger first." E.N.D. said as he stood up.

Natsu nodded vehemently before slamming his fist into his palm.

"I'm all fired up! Let's do this!"

* * *

 **Two Days Later**

 **Mt. Olympus**

The day after the ritual the other Slayers had woken up. Anna and the Exceeds were there to happily greet them after the whole ordeal they went through during the ritual. Each of the Slayers then told of what they went through after the ritual had finished.

Gray's trip into his own soul was definitely something he wanted to do again. It started when Gray awoke in the middle of a large courtyard in front of a large castle, more modern than the castles he'd seen in both Edolas and Fiore. In addition to that the courtyard was made so cars can drive in it, especially once he made note of the fact the main road was connected to the courtyard. After gawking at the sights for a bit, Gray went inside the palace and he complimented how the interior was designed, even if it was a bit more dark and mysterious than the Mercurius in Crocus. It was after making his way to the throne room that he spotted two figures. A blonde female resting next to the throne and a raven haired young man who occupied said throne. The young lady was in a very extravagant white wedding dress while the young man was in an all-black suit that was the perfect cross of what was worn by royalty and military. Their names were Noctis Lucis Caelum and Lunafreya Nox Fleuret.

Lady Lunafreya or Luna as she wanted to be called was the more formal one of the couple while Noctis was definitely the casual one. Once Gray introduced himself to them, they did so in kind before taking the time to trade stories. After telling of his origin and adventures, the Devil Slayer was shocked to hear of the powers he inherited and who he inherited them from. He was also shocked to hear of their ties to the one known as Gentiana. He pressed on with some questions hoping to get a clue as to who the mysterious brunette was but Luna insisted that Gray be patient and find out once he and his comrades went to Earth Land. Gray reluctantly backed down from the topic and moved onto other matters. Later on, he was slightly saddened by the fact of how tragedy seemed to follow the lovely couple and their families when both were alive. He was also angry at the man who was mostly responsible for the death and destruction that nearly destroyed their home… Ardyn. But Gray took solace in the fact that Ardyn was dead and Noctis' comrades could rebuild the world without him or Luna there. Gray asked how neither were depressed or sad about what all they went through, thinking there must be some lingering regret and sadness about not being with the people you call your friends and family. To their everlasting grace, both told in their own way how they were at peace with what they accomplished and the sacrifices they made in making sure their world survived the darkness. The Ice mage admired their spirit, resolve and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. He hoped he could learn a thing or two from them. And to his luck that's what they were going to do.

It was revealed that when the Gods of Eos decided to leave, they brought the spirits of Noctis and Luna along, both inhabiting a magic sphere. This sphere was not only a living space for their souls but a transporting vessel for the weapons known as the Royal Arms. From what Gray was informed, the Royal Arms were powerful, mystic weapons wielded by the past kings of Lucis and after a king's passing, each weapon would be passed down the royal bloodline. At one point in time, the Royal Arms numbered in at roughly over 100 but due to unforeseen circumstances and the passage of time, only 13 survived. All 13 were wielded by Noctis at some point but now they were in Gray's possession. Noctis and Luna assured that they would assist Gray when it came to mastering the Royal Arms as well as certain subjects of magic.

Wendy's soul did well to reflect her personality as well as her gentle nature. She awoke on a stained glass platform in the middle of a grassy meadow next to a lake and surrounded by forests. The Sky Maiden also spotted a small cottage… right next to her dragon Grandeeney. Like with Natsu and Igneel, Wendy's soul was now permanently bonded with the soul of her adoptive dragon mom. They chatted on the changes Wendy would experience and the special power that was yet to be unlocked. Grandeeney assured this new power would be discovered over the course of training which Wendy was more than determined to begin. The Sky Dragon knew her adoptive daughter would give it her all once her and the others began their training.

Given his rough around the edges, bad boy attitude Gajeel wasn't all that shocked of what his soul looked like. The dark haired teen woke up on top of a tall scrap heap. Turns out the scrap heap was in the middle of a lush forest surrounded by a set of mountains. But the oddest thing to note was the weather as the sun was barely peeking through dark clouds. Gajeel spent roughly an hour exploring the forest before coming upon a cliff overlooking a city. The city was more modern than anything he'd seen before but that's not what interested him. What interested him was the large broadsword planted in the ground. Before he could even remove it, Metalicana finally appeared and as far as Father-son bonding goes… it was different.

There was the usual verbal abuse thrown around but they both knew their harsh words had no real bite. They didn't want to admit it but being together again was the best feeling in the world. Mushy feelings aside, Metalicana briefed Gajeel on the changes brought on by the ritual. Thanks to Gajeel's efforts in the Grand Magic Games, the young man had now become the Phantom Dragon Slayer. Although he hated the new designation, Gajeel enjoyed the fact Rogue's Shadow Dragon Slayer power was now fused with his Iron Dragon Slayer power. He always saw Rogue as a brother and now the merging of their power made him feel that bond strengthen. Metalicana then instructed Gajeel to train hard so that he could earn the sword. The newly minted Phantom Dragon Slayer called bullshit but settled for complying with his father's wishes.

Sting's experience was rather enlightening to say the least. The blonde obviously knew there were holy aspects to his powers but he didn't expect them to… it's best to describe than to try and put it in words. Sting awoke within a church, placed on top of a hill. Although the church was older than dirt, it was kept in relatively good shape. Sting grinned like an idiot surmising jokingly how his soul wasn't made of crap like Rogue's or Gajeel's. Those two liked to brood too much but at least Gajeel had a mate who can make him more enjoyable to be around. What exactly was Rogue's excuse? The Shadow user was going to be late to the party in finding a mate. That and Rogue was emo as all fuck so he had that going for him. Wendy of course was excused because she was too young to have a mate just yet but she had ample time to find candidates.

Sting exited the decent sized church to the view of a lake nearby along with a forest and some mountains. Sitting next to the lake was Sting's adoptive dragon dad Weisslogia who happily greeted his son which was returned with equal force. Sting was then briefed on what he needed to know with regards to the rituals and the changes in his magic. Not much special except that his light affinity was much stronger than before. Weisslogia recommended that Sting invest not only in refining his hand-to-hand skills but his weapon skills as well. When Sting retorted about blades being something Rogue was into, Weisslogia countered with saying that Sting should look into firearms. Sting agreed with the suggestion and that was the end of that.

And lastly there was Rogue, who didn't have much of an opinion on his soul. The Shadow user awoke in the middle of a garden that was a part of some sort of estate. The garden itself was massive featuring an assortment of fountains, statues and creatively cut shrubbery.

Now, the garden was connected to two separate buildings. One was a Japanese style temple running at three stories high. The other building was practically in ruins but evidence points that at one point the building was a full blown castle. Rogue didn't gawk at his surroundings or the fact it was night time because he things to do. He found Skiadrum in the ruined castle and was informed of the situation. The only thing to note was that Rogue's affinity for all things Darkness and Shadow increased. Skiadrum warned him not to let his training and increase in strength to darken the corners of his soul.

So, now the Slayers, Anna and the Exceeds waited on Natsu to wake up. That wait extended into the next day. To make their anxiety grow even more, Irene hasn't been seen or heard from since she was summoned by Zeus and Hera after the ritual. Anna and the Exceeds last saw her when they were informed the ritual had ended and everyone was in recovery.

So there they all were, waiting inside the chamber the ritual had been done in, waiting for Natsu to wake up. Since waking up the group had explored Olympus some and made sure to eat to keep their strength up. Happy of course had to have meals brought to him because he didn't want to leave Natsu's side.

( _"Oh man… I hope you wake up soon Natsu…"_ ) Happy thought downtrodden.

The others entered the chamber, each of them dressed differently except the Exceeds of course.

Anna wore jeans, black boots, a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. How she stumbled upon the fashion of this world is anyone's guess. Evidence points towards Hera or Irene but honestly who knows.

Gray was wearing grey combat fatigues, black combat boots, a navy colored tank top and his necklace/chain.

Wendy was wearing a maroon tracksuit with a white t-shirt underneath and white tennis shoes.

Gajeel wore olive colored combat fatigues, black combat boots and a brown t-shirt. Around his neck was a specially forged y-shaped necklace/chain that had a twin back in Earth Land.

Sting wore navy colored combat fatigues, black combat boots and a white tank top.

Rogue wore black combat fatigues, black combat boots and a black tank top.

Each of the Slayers had packs with them containing the essentials like a sleeping bag, compass, medical supplies, an extra set of clothes and a canteen. Natsu's pack was next to his slab and he had his own set of clothes like the others set aside for when he woke up.

"Any changes Happy?" Gray asked.

"No, he's still sleeping." Happy answered with a shake of his head.

Wendy and Carla were at Natsu's side monitoring him with worried faces, same as Happy. The others found comfortable places to sit or stand while playing the waiting game. Rogue took the time to meditate, hoping to gain a head start in the mental and spiritual aspects of his training.

It was an hour into the waiting when Natsu started to stir.

"Everyone he's waking up!" Wendy cried out.

The others started to gather around in anticipation. Natsu slowly began to open his eyes and all he saw were blobs. His vision then adjusted after a few moments, to see Wendy, Carla and Happy looking at him with relieved smiles. He slowly began smiling back before a yawn hit him.

Groggily rising up off the table, he stretched and heard the comforting pops of bones. Swinging his legs over his bed of the last few days, Natsu brought Happy into his side, ruffling the fur on top of his head.

"Get enough sleep Flame Brain?" Gray teased with a smirk.

"You kidding popsicle? I feel great!"

Natsu hopped off the table and stretched a little more as he got a good look at everyone for the first time since the ritual. Anna was hanging back with a warm smile and she waved at Natsu, which he returned. The guys of course had smirks and just from the first glance, Natsu knew they got the benefits of the ritual like he did. It was going to be a hell of a good time having these guys as training partners. Wendy crept over to Natsu's side with a new change of clothes which he happily took.

"Get changed fearless leader, we got training to get to." Gajeel pointed out with a grin.

Natsu gave a lazy wave and everyone gave the teen his privacy to get changed. After a few minutes Natsu emerged wearing jungle camo fatigues, open toed combat boots and a brown t-shirt. His scarf of course was wrapped around his head like a bandana. His right arm was now wrapped in a bandage to cover his mark of the Firestorm Dragon King and a small white band-aid was placed across his right cheek to cover the scar.

Anna had stepped out earlier to see if Irene had come back from whatever she was doing before. Luckily, the Queen of Dragons had returned and filled Anna in on what was about to take place. Anna immediately gathered the Slayers and Exceeds, escorting them to a platform where Zeus had secured transport for each of them. As they were navigating the hallways of Olympus with Anna leading the pack, they conversed amongst themselves.

"So Natsu…" Happy began.

"Yeah bud?"

"What kind of transportation you think they'll give us?"

"Please don't say transportation…" Natsu begged with a broken smile.

The Dragon Slayers groaned in agreement while Gray snickered at their collective plight.

"I do hope your dragons can help you get over such a glaring weakness." Carla commented.

"Agreed. That very weakness can mean life and death if you find yourselves fighting on a moving vehicle." Lily chimed in.

"Plus, Lucy's not always going to be there to comfort your sorry ass like she always does Pyro." Gray lightly insulted.

"Up yours Frosty." Natsu retorted.

"That's enough boys. Don't make me go get Irene." Anna warned with a playful smirk.

"Yes ma'am." They both groaned out.

After several more minutes the group found themselves on a platform with a gorgeous view. Oh and apparently Zeus and Hera had secured for them horses with wings… wait what?

"Since when did horses have wings?" Natsu couldn't help but ask.

"Their race is known as Pegasus, winged steeds of Olympus."

Everyone turned and saw Irene and she was with one of the Pegasus, wearing a different outfit from her usual witch's garb. She had on a black cloak with white trim covering her new outfit. The outfit consisted of a dark colored vest over a white tank top, dark pants, dark colored boots and protective forearm bracers. Her hair, which was usually separated into several braids was now put into a ponytail like Anna had.

"I've had time to gather a great deal of information regarding the world we're in now. In time you this information will be passed on to you." Irene continued.

The Slayers shared glances with each other before shrugging.

"Now, each one of these steeds will be your ride to our next destination. And rest assured, your dragons will handle the motion sickness issue."

Sighs of relief were the reaction the redhead got before each of the Slayers mounted a Pegasus rather excitedly. The Exceeds themselves were a little excited at the prospect of riding animals capable of using magic like they could. That and the furry friends didn't want to deal with motion sick partners if they could help it.

The group then trotted around the platform before collectively facing the platform's edge that viewed out to Olympus. Irene and Anna were in front of the others as Zeus and Hera walked over to where the women were. Natsu of course stayed close to the redhead and blone on his respective Pegasus.

 **[Play: Wrath of the Titans Theme]**

"The arrangements as I said have been set. They should be expecting you once you reach the capitol island." Zeus informed them.

"Do be on your best behavior though. That goes double for all of you." Hera warned with a smile.

The Slayers and Exceeds nodded with determined looks and good sized smiles.

"We'll train hard and visit again sometime. That for sure is a promise your highness!" Natsu stated with his trademark grin.

The King and Queen shared a chuckle before backing away. Irene nodded over to Anna who nodded back.

"Let's ride." Irene commanded.

Then one by one, the group rode off of the platform while on their respective Olympian steeds. They filed in a single line down into the orange-yellow clouds that would automatically teleport them to their destination. As Zeus and Hera watched the last Pegasus fly in, Hera placed a hand on Zeus' shoulder.

"May the stars be bright and guide in your journey my friends. As of now Olympus will be watching over you, always." Zeus said.

* * *

 **Somewhere over the Atlantic**

It was a rather majestic ride for the group that would in time rock the supernatural world of Earth.

Flying through the blue skies, passing through the clouds were the visitors from Earth Land on the Olympian Steeds known as Pegasus. Irene had put her hood up but was enjoying the rush of air across her face. She had obviously flown in her dragon form on several occasions but those instances were rare. This was a different experience and she couldn't help but feel all that more alive again.

Anna of course had flown on the backs of dragons before back in the X300s. But like with Irene, this experience was refreshing and somewhat new. Of all the supernatural creatures and animals the Heartfillia time traveler would encounter, she never expected to encounter something as royally majestic as the Pegasus.

Natsu was grinning ear to ear, whooping and hollering in joy and satisfaction. Nothing beat riding with Igneel or having Happy fly him but this was a fun experience. The steed felt the emotional positivity and excitement from his rider and decided to take things up a notch. Happy held tightly onto Natsu as their ride performed a corkscrew, briefly flying ahead of Irene and Anna before pulling back behind them.

Gray shook his head while smirking. Gajeel had a similar reaction once he heard joyous hollering coming from Sting. Rogue had a small smile as he enjoyed the ride in the sky with Frosch by his side. Although Wendy was just as subdued as Gajeel, Gray and Rogue she beamed a wide smile. Carla of course said something about 'foolish boys' while sporting a radiant smile of her own.

The galloping and trotting through the clouds brought them to a large, dark set of clouds that settled on the ocean surface. Irene narrowed her eyes and proceeded forward with a quickened pace. The others followed suit and didn't encounter any inclement weather once they all entered the dark expanse.

The near darkness of the cloud mass didn't hinder the group long. After several minutes, they exited and what they saw took their breath away. It was the same island chain they practically landed on days ago except this time it glowed in its radiant beauty during the day time. Not only that, they could clearly see the capitol island clearly. It had buildings that matched the architecture of Olympus.

( _"This must be Themyscira…"_ ) Irene thought with intrigue.

 **[End of Song]**

Irene motioned for the others to follow her and they all nodded at the command. The group then did a brief fly-by of Themyscira, noting several areas of interest. Everyone with the exception of Irene made note of the fact that there were only women on the island it seemed.

( _"Irene did say we would be going someplace rather unique. I just never imagined we would be going to a place inhabited completely by women."_ ) Anna thought curiously.

Of course there was the indication the populace shared a habitat with the native wildlife. The group spotted wild birds (some exotic like flamingos), boars, wolves, rams & sheep, and of course horses.

Irene led them a slightly elevated platform that seemed perfect to land on. As they landed and dismounted one by one, they were welcomed by the sight of four figures.

The first figure was an older woman with dark colored hair, part of it tied back into a ponytail. She wore a golden tiara on her head like the people of the ancient days. She had on a white, Greek style dress that went all the way down to her ankles. In addition to that she had on golden bracers, golden sandals and an animal coat draped on her shoulders like a cape.

The other three figures were wearing cloaks and did not show their faces or their clothes. The tallest of the trio, who was slightly taller than the older woman wore a dark red cloak with gold trim. The second, who was the same height as the older woman, wore a silver cloak with black trim. Last was the shortest of the trio who wore a golden cloak with red trim.

The group gathered as they were approached by the four mystery women. The older woman wore a neutral expression as she made a beeline for Irene. Said redhead stepped forward with everyone else standing by behind her.

"Irene Beslserion I assume?" the dark haired woman prompted.

"That is correct."

Irene then motioned to the rest of her group.

"I assume nothing will be done to the boys during our stay?"

The dark haired woman regarded five young men with a neutral stare. The male Slayers each tensed up as they felt the dark haired woman's stunning blue eyes pierce their very being. Not only that they felt the woman purposely letting off magic energy in waves. The Exceeds were suddenly shivering and Anna took note of this. The blonde sent a questioning look to Irene who could only shake her head in response.

( _"What the hell… what kind of power does she have? And why does it feel like she wants to kill us?"_ ) Natsu thought nervously.

Wendy was terrified stiff and staring at the four strangers wide-eyed. She honestly couldn't believe the amount of magic power coming from one person. Irene sensed the distress of each of the members of her group increase and decided to intervene.

"Lady Hippolyta, I humbly request that you not distress the children and their companions any further."

The now named Hippolyta ceased her intimidation tactics and regarded Irene with the same neutral stare she gave everyone else.

"As you wish." Hippolyta complied.

Turning on her heel, the brunette walked back towards the platform's exit with the three strangers in cloaks following her closely.

"Follow us. We will show you to your quarters."

The Slayers were still on edge and shared nervous glances with each other, excluding Wendy. Said bluenette was snapped out of her funk when Anna grasped her from behind by her shoulders. Startled Wendy snapped her head over her shoulder to see a concerned Anna looking right at her. Wordlessly, Wendy sent a small smile her way and the blonde nodded before the whole group followed after Irene.

For the next few minutes, the group was treated to an impromptu tour of Themyscira on the way to their quarters for their stay.

"I would like to welcome you to Themyscira, home of the Amazons. Given our time, I won't be able to tell you our entire history so I'll leave parts that I don't mention up to Lady Irene." Hippolyta began.

The group listened intently as they began traversing pathways where they were given a wide birth. The Slayers (Gray included), heard the whispers from the denizens of the island. The only positive comments were sent to the sole female members of the group which included Carla. Everything else was hateful and the group once again tensed at the killing intent being released. Irene didn't say anything but she made a note to deal with that issue later.

"To begin my name is Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons."

Hippolyta then motioned to the three cloaked figures without so much as a glance back.

"The three you see before you are my daughters. They will introduce themselves to you during training which will begin first thing tomorrow morning."

Natsu took a moment to try and get a read on the three cloaked women keeping in close proximity with the queen. He could tell by their strides they carried themselves like seasoned warriors. In a way those three, hell this entire island's populace reminded him of Erza and Kagura. The thought sent a shiver down his spine and made a note to not do anything stupid lest he face the wrath of Anna, Irene or worse Igneel once the teen went to sleep.

"Your other instructors will reveal themselves in due time. Not all of them will be with my daughters tomorrow but we will continue as planned with no delays."

The group passed by a miniature gladiator's style arena, with stadium seating that could fit in 300 to 500 people.

"Here we have the Ceremonial Arena. This is where your graduation ceremony will be held in the coming months."

Anna raised an eyebrow while the others glanced at each other in confusion and shrugged. Irene of course was in the know and had no reaction. The group proceeded past an open grass field (with hills and a few trees nearby) where there were various activities being conducted.

One set of amazons were on horseback playing a game involving a boar carcass. Another set was conducting target practice with archery. Of course another set of amazons were sword fighting in pairs. The Slayers were no strangers to sword play given they lived through the experience of Kagura and Erza's expertise in regards to all things swords. Rogue was paying very close attention to the movement, technique and skill of each individual Amazon. He at one point carried a katana he got off an enemy during a job he was on with Sting, Lector and Frosch. But the katana was just for show and despite the time he had on his hands in his down time, he just never learned how to use a sword. Even worse he became complacent when keeping an edge over the competition.

( _"One of many reasons why we lost to Fairy Tail…"_ ) Rogue thought with a small smirk.

"Here we have the training grounds. This is where you will report to first thing in the morning before breakfast."

Wendy slowly raised her hand as to ask a question. Unlike before with the male members of the group, Hippolyta regarded Wendy with a smile that was more welcoming than whatever she gave the others.

"Yes young one?"

"Um… I know training will be long and all but how often will be coming here?" Wendy asked.

Hippolyta's daughters exchanged smiles and glances at the youthful bluenette's question. Hippolyta herself let out a small chuckle.

"To answer your question, you will be coming here before and after both breakfast and lunch. After dinner you are allowed free time."

Wendy nodded and the rest of the Slayers sent smiles and nods of thanks to the youngest of their group.

"But be warned. Your free time is extended to only select places on the island. Should you decide to explore these select places, a guard will accompany you at all times, no exceptions."

Natsu and Gray frowned at this. Then they figured, there likely wasn't much to do on this island outside of training so it wasn't too much of a severe rule. Plus based on the reception they got, it was probably not wise to go where they weren't wanted. Natsu was the adventurous for daring member of the group but even he didn't want to find out the consequences of disobeying the Queen's rules.

"Any objections?" The Queen prompted.

No one said a word.

"Excellent. We will be going through the residential area to the palace."

True to her word, the group passed through the residential area where the residents were going about their daily lives. On the way to the palace, the Earth Land citizens saw a few statues dedicated to the deities of the Olympian Faction.

( _"They seem pretty loyal to Zeus and the other Gods of Olympus if those statues are anything to go by…"_ ) Irene observed.

"I would like to inform you that we Amazons have made our dwelling not just above ground but below it. Although we keep houses on the surface, we have underground bunkers that serve very well as secondary housing. This is applied to the palace as well."

The group then figured they would be staying in the underground quarters together… that is until the Queen brought them to the foyer of her home.

"Now that the tour has concluded, my daughters and I will show you to your respective quarters."

Everyone nodded with sincerity and relief.

"However, special arrangements have been made for the women. The best we can offer the men is below the palace grounds." The Queen stated evenly.

The male members of the group frowned. Natsu was starting to get restless and more than fed up with the treatment he and the rest of the guys were getting. He was glad the girls weren't treated poorly. One was practically his Godmother, the other his sister and the last was Dragon Royalty.

Stepping forward to give the Queen a piece of his mind, Wendy placated him by placing her small hand on his forearm.

"I apologize your highness but we can't accept." Wendy said with a stern expression.

The daughters of Hippolyta shared stunned expressions under their hoods. The Queen herself raised a brow questioningly.

"And why is that young one?" She questioned.

"Because…"

Wendy smiled as she looked back at her companions.

"Four of them are my fellow Dragon Slayers and we need to stick together. And even though Gray's not a Dragon Slayer himself I think of him as one of us. Our Exceeds are our partners and most importantly all of us are practically a family."

Everyone smiled brightly at Wendy's speech while Irene herself grinned smugly at Queen Hippolyta.

"Those 'men' that you and your people hate happen to be my big brothers. Although I appreciate you willing to help us, I won't accept your generosity for the wrong reasons. So as I said your highness, we can't accept your offer." The bluenette finished.

Hippolyta narrowed her eyes ever so slightly and began to radiate magic like before. This time it was toned down and didn't have the stunning effect like before. The Slayers and Exceeds tensed up while Irene stepped in front of the group locking an unwavering gaze with Hippolyta. The Queen of Dragons let off a little of her own magic as a counter to the Amazonian Queen. The two females continued their intense staring contest, allowing more and more magic to roll off in small pulses.

Both sides were uneasy, including Hippolyta's daughters as neither wanted a confrontation to happen and possibly upset the Gods… or the Amazons in the Slayers perspective.

The tallest of Hippolyta's daughters grasped her mother's shoulder causing said woman to look her way. The woman in the red cloak shook her head softly letting her mother know this battle of wills over a petty issue wasn't worth it. No longer seeing the point in risking an incident, Hippolyta sighed before regaining her composure.

"Very well. Do as you wish." Hippolyta responded coolly.

The Queen retreated up the stairs leaving behind her daughters with the group of visitors from another world. After a few moments of staring at Hippolyta's now absent form, the tallest of her daughters broke the silence.

"You must be weary from your travels. Please follow me." She instructed.

Not hearing any complaints the group followed Hippolyta's daughter down to the lower levels beneath the palace. The section where there rooms were was constructed out of brick and cobblestone. On the walls hung paintings as well as torches to help with the lighting.

"I do hope you forgive my mother's behavior. She is a firm believer in upholding the rules of our society. I hope you understand we Amazons have had a history with man and man's world." The tallest daughter explained.

The group was now settling down in their own respective rooms. Irene, Gray and Anna each got their own rooms. The Exceeds and their Dragon Slayer partners shared rooms together because it was natural. The arrangements were as such:

Left side: Gray, Wendy w/Carla, Irene, Anna

Right side: Natsu w/Happy, Sting w/Lector, Rogue w/Frosch, Gajeel w/Panther-Lily

Each room was complimented with Full sized beds, nightstands, dressers, a bathroom and a bookshelf containing books of various genres. While unpacking, the group conversed with the tallest and eldest of Hippolyta's daughters.

"It's fine, we get it. But I'm curious though. Don't any of you leave the island?" Natsu prompted while putting away some new clothes.

"My sisters and I do. Our duties are to protect humanity as best we can from supernatural threats while maintaining some semblance of secrecy."

"But if that's the case, why did your mother respond to us like she did? I would assume that Zeus and the other Olympians have you maintain the supernatural order out of necessity." Rogue chimed in.

The others heard her sigh in response.

"Our past is stained with the blood of many. Those who have trespassed on this island without our consent or the consent of the Gods were killed or simply sent back with their memories erased. The duty of the Amazons is to protect the light of man's world from the shadows. But our duty comes at a cost that cuts to our souls deeply." She explained.

"What do you mean?" Wendy asked in confusion.

The tall Amazon crossed her arms and leaned on the wall next to the doorway that was a part of Natsu's room.

"In both our worlds there is great evil as well as good…"

Natsu stopped packing for a second as did everyone else. They all stopped and stared intently at what was in their hands as they listened.

"When evil exists, atrocities happen. There are those who clamor to evil because that is all they know. I've seen fates worse than death brought to men, women and children of all ages in my years on this Earth. Believe me when I say the horrors we witness do indeed give us the resolve to make a better world. We must always find strength in the depths of absolute despair."

"But…" Gray began.

"But those horrors still wound our soul. We Amazons have existed for hundreds of years and what we have seen from man is still etched into memory. My sisters and I believe in hope. We believe that man can one day make the turn and find an everlasting light to shut out the darkness. Maybe not completely mind you, but at least they would be able to shut out enough darkness so the light can shine on."

Frowns were worn by everyone as they contemplated what they heard. What exactly had this version of humanity experienced? What had the Amazons witnessed that made mankind, men in general so hated? Everyone wanted to ask something related to their talk after a few moments of silence but no dared do so. After finally changing clothes and finishing their tasks of unpacking, someone did ask a question.

"And your mother doesn't believe in this… does she?" Rogue questioned solemnly.

Another pregnant silence.

The group had a feeling they knew the answer to such an obvious question. The response they got wasn't so expected at all.

"All life, including members of the supernatural world dance to an endless waltz: War, Peace and Revolution. Humanity has experienced this countless times and so have several supernatural factions. What is experienced in this waltz varies from person to person. But with these experiences comes change for better or for worse." She stated sagely.

She got off of the wall and walked down the hall towards the stairs. Her sisters followed her wordlessly.

"I will leave you all to your thoughts. Dinner is in an hour."

But she stopped for a few moments before glancing over her shoulder. She allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she thought about her guests. They deserved a much proper welcome than what was given to them by her mother.

"Welcome to Themyscira my friends."

* * *

 **A/N: Another one! (DJ Khaled impression)**

 **[1] – Odyssey (Greek Version) (feat. Mike Georgiades & Fanny Perrier-Rochas) from Assassin's Creed Odyssey**

 **The song is heard after the Battle of Thermopylae tutorial when Ikaros is flying over Kephallonia. I love that song so don't hate.**

 **[2] – Wrath Of The Titans (Javier Navarrette) from Wrath Of The Titans Soundtrack**

 **Honestly if you were riding a Pegasus which soundtrack selection would you choose? This fit for that scene in particular. At least I thought so.**

 **You guys ready for a quick recap? Let's hop right in.**

 **I promised a chapter where there would be a training montage of sorts and a weapons reveal (still have Natsu, Wendy, Sting and Rogue left). I feel for this chapter, that part had to get its own chapter separate from this one. I took the long winding road just to get to this point and had to contemplate whether or not to continue but I felt like my limit has been reached in terms of length. I feel like details matter in this story but we got to get to the fun part so I'll my best not to include too many details going forward. Meaning the pace of this story will be picking up.**

 **So to recap…**

 **The dragons have been bonded to their respective Dragon Slayer's soul, similar to how Ddraig and Albion are bonded to their hosts when someone new inherits their respective Sacred Gear. When the Dragon Slayers all pass at some point, the dragons pass with them.**

 **Yes, I gave Gray the 13 Royal Arms from Final Fantasy XV. It's to help balance out his Devil Slayer powers. Those familiar with Gray's inherited power from the Tartaros Arc should realize how dangerous having Devil Slayers powers with regards to one's psyche (soul too). This was the first option that came to mind other than the obvious of having Gray see a specialist but guess what? New world, new rules and strangers all around. He can't just go and see Porlyusica or some doctor to fix his 'condition'.**

 **What was in that orb used in the ritual? Pure cosmic power. There was obviously magic mixed in with different energy types to make the bonding process and other aspects of the ritual work. Those other energy types leaves greater room for growth in terms of physical prowess as well as magic. On top of that, the Slayers respective spells will be a tad more destructive.**

 **Based on this chapter alone, you guys should guess the identity of Hippolyta's daughters rather easily. In addition to that, you only get to see them for one more chapter. Well not entirely true but after the next chapter it will be some time before any of them get mentioned or make a meaningful appearance later in the story.**

 **Although there are roughly 50 or so guest characters featured in this story, they are mainly extras for the majority of the story (cannot stress this enough). I selected characters from other series and franchises who could best fit in the world of DxD. But I had to narrow my selection to include the more 'lesser known' anime characters. I didn't want to bring in heavy hitting characters from worlds like DBZ/DBS or Bleach or Naruto. All that said some guest characters get to shine in bonus chapters. Something I failed to mention previously. The focus of the story is on the respective casts from Fairy Tail and DxD. Hopefully though I hope you'll enjoy the guest appearances. You'll get a kick out of them for sure.**

 **For all reviews, opinions and comments leave them in the review section. Any questions or concerns PM me and I'll do my best to respond.**

 **As always thanks to the readers, reviewers, viewers and fellow authors on the site. You guys as always push me to be a better author. Even those who may bring flames to this fic. Lol you guys are awesome too (in your own unique way). Just don't make those flames personal… please.**

 **Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Back again! (And hopefully by popular demand)**

 **Did a little reminiscing and browsed through my favorites… you guys ever read that story about Natsu and Lucy being caught by individual guild members when they were getting frisky (and then some I might add)? Although it provides bits of citrus so I can't help but laugh at the hilarity of the situation.**

 **Also while going through my favorites, I remember a few stories where Natsu was raised by Acnologia. I hate that those stories weren't properly finished but I can understand the plight of every author on the site when it comes to tech troubles or life hitting you hard not really allowing time to express your creativity. I might do a story like that but with all my other projects taking importance that's a long way off.**

 **Another thing… is it really possible for several Dragon Slayers to claim the same mate? This is based off of some stories I read on the site and I need opinions like yesterday. (Keep in mind the stories I read had favorites in the hundreds and were quite steamy… like steamy enough to melt your face off)**

 **I found a story where Ichigo from Bleach got to wield Zangetsu and Pantera at the same time. Do you have any idea how awesome that sounds?! Plus he practically got a harem pining after his Strawberry ass. Lol**

 **Announcement! Until 100 Year Quest is over, my biggest project will continue to be under construction before it is published. Other than this reboot and my DBZ/Fairy Tail crossover, that project is my pride and joy. The entire Fairy Tail cast plus some OCs, the entire story with movies, omakes and anime only episodes rolled into one giant adventure. All details to that story will come when the multi-part prologue is released. Romances, setting, any further details regarding the details of OCs, the works! Plus soundtrack selection for the fights because I couldn't help myself!**

 **If you want to get a better idea of what Natsu's inner world looked like think of it like this… take the sandy shores of the most beautiful islands from Assassin's Creed Odyssey and combine them with Isla Nublar from the Jurassic Park series and that's what you get. That island was featured in Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom and I think that volcano would serve as a good backdrop in Natsu's inner world.**

 **Has anyone been keeping track of the chapters for FT: 100 Quest? The recent chapter has me puzzled. That and we got a NaLu moment… sort of. Seriously, Mashima needs to quit with the teasing. But then again, I guess he wanted to go for an ultra-slow burn romance between Natsu and Lucy. And that particular romance took a sequel to get to it… hopefully.**

 **Anyways, Natsu got a power up from some douche who claims to be Igneel's other son (*Spoiler Alert!*). And using that power up, Natsu went off like the beast that he is. Which leaves me salivating for the next chapter.**

 **So in response to your comments on the last chapter…**

 **Always happy to get positive reviews. That said, Natsu won't be paired with women who could crush his balls if he so as much breathes wrong. Before this chapter ends, the male slayers will have bonded with both the Amazons and the Olympians. Will there be slight ecchi antics? Possibly lol**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **The Original Authors of Slayers of DxD were (and still are) Crossover Wizard Master and** **dude932. All credit for the original intent of the story goes to them.**

 **Hiro Mashima and any related parties own Fairy Tail and any related spin-offs, sequels or products of any kind with regards to the series**

 **Ichiei Ishibumi and Miyama-Zero along with any related parties own High School DxD and any related products of any kind with regards to the series.**

 **All characters from DC Comics and/or Marvel featured in this chapter and the last belong not just to DC Comics but the creators and artists within the company.**

 **Wonder Woman was created by William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter. Any related characters were created and owned by DC respectively.**

 **Any characters, places and ideas used in this story do not belong to me.**

 **Music, Songs and Soundtracks featured in this story do not belong to me and are used for the readers benefit (mostly my own just because lol).**

 **Use and/or mentions of historical figures, pop culture icons, religion and religious figures in general will be in this story for purely entertainment purposes.**

* * *

 **Themyscira**

 **The Training Field**

 **The Following Morning**

Evening and Night had come and gone rather quickly for the Earth Land group. They all enjoyed a rather generous meal from the Queen of the Amazons, despite her cold demeanor upon their arrival. Of course all matter of manners and decorum left for the male members of the group when the feast began. Natsu of course was an animal when food was involved and his fellow male Slayers followed his lead. The Queen just wearily sighed at the male Slayers antics while the female members of the group ate in a manner more befitting of proper ladies.

Other than a somewhat chaotic dinner that included rabid eating and a couple of shouting matches, the evening that shifted into night went off without further complications. The group conversed amongst themselves, eager to try new things with their powers while also growing excited at the prospect of seeing the world known as Earth. After separating to their rooms for the night the group took showers or baths before heading off to bed for a good night's sleep.

Of course while unconscious the Dragon Slayers talked with their dragons while starting right away on their training regimen. Gray of course got in touch with Noctis and Luna after going to sleep. Each Slayer had to work on magic mastery and magic control within each of their respective souls. The work load for both tasks increased for Natsu, Gajeel and Gray. Natsu and Gajeel basically had to re-learn how their magic worked since their powers had changed. For Gray, he was experimenting with Devil Slayer magic that was gifted to him days ago as well as learning new tools of trade that would make him a more effective mage.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Natsu also had to deal with the fact that some of his power was still sealed away. Turns out he had really become that powerful. The ritual had made him Earth Land's ultimate magic hybrid: Dragon, Demon and Human. On top of being a Dragon Slayer and an Etherious he was a God Slayer too. Igneel and END told him that they were working on three forms Natsu could use in case of emergencies.

The first form was **Firestorm Dragon King Mode**. This mode combined all aspects of **Dragon Force** with the mark of the **Firestorm Dragon King**. In this form, Natsu's power, speed, reflexes, strength and senses amplifies to levels that could rival the dragons of the Eclipse and then some. Any further training could make this form strong enough to rival the Dragon Kings of old, Igneel included. The biggest benefit of this form was the dragon scales that formed. With the dragon scales covering Natsu's skin, his durability shoots through the roof. Oh and on top of the dragon scales, Natsu would be granted flight abilities using dragon wings.

The second form was **Etherious Flame God Mode**. This mode had the benefits of **Firestorm Dragon King Mode** except durability is lower. In this form, Natsu is covered in demonic markings on his arms, legs and part of his face. The sclera in his eyes turns to black and his pupils glow ruby red. His hands become demonic claws and his flames are hotter and much more deadly in this form. Oh and he has to small golden horns peaking beneath his hair. The benefit of this form was that Natsu could regenerate from any wound as long as no one cut off his head. Not only that, the regeneration was damn near instantaneous.

The third and final form had no known title yet but it was a combination of the previous two forms. This form ultimately has all the benefits but one drawback when the time expires… severe magic exhaustion. Natsu knew that this form was an absolute last resort for the ultimate of contingency plans but that didn't mean he was salivating at the possibilities of using it. In this form, Natsu would temporarily grow in height, rivaling Gajeel. Not only that his hair would lengthen down to past the midpoint of his back. Odd thing to note is that his nails would blacken to a deep charcoal black while also lengthening slightly. His sclera would turn black while his pupils became slits and turned a glowing bright green. The mark on his arm would remain like before, surrounded by a mix of maroon and golden scales on his arm. The dragon scales would end up covering his back, a majority of both arms and a majority of his legs. He would get his horns from his **Etherious Flame God Mode** back. Last thing to note would be furry, yet scaly devil's tail attached to his lower back. At the end of the tail was an organic arrowhead tip that would harden at will.

Each of these forms were strong, Natsu knew that. He also knew that with training and practice, these forms could be refined and he could stay in them for extended periods. As it stood right now, he could only go 5 minutes in each form with the exception of the third form. Unfortunately, since that form still had some kinks to it, he couldn't even go a full 30 seconds if he tried. That news was a real bummer…

Meanwhile with Gajeel, he himself had gotten a new form as a result of all his experiences. **Phantom Zero Mode** was its official title. The combined power of Gajeel's **Iron Scales** , his patented **Iron Shadow Dragon Mode** and **Steel Shadow Dragon Mode** gave birth to a new dual element mode never seen before. The biggest benefits of having this new form was durability and maneuverability. With the power of all things metal, Gajeel could withstand a Jupiter Blast and still have plenty of armor to spare for a fight afterwards. With the power of all things shadow, darkness became Gajeel's biggest ally.

And for Gray, the combination of new abilities granted by the Royal Arms in combination with his Devil Slayer power granted him a form like Natsu and Gajeel. He and Noctis dubbed it **Arctic Armiger**. Like when using his Devil Slayer powers normally, his hair would automatically spike up and most of the right side of his body would be covered in magic ink it seemed. Only this time, exposed skin not touched by the mark of the Devil Slayer and its power would become grayish blue. His eyes would glow a crystalline, ocean blue instead of the usual light purple (or lavender). Noctis explained to Gray how Armiger allowed him to use all Royal Arms and how teammates could wield them temporarily without harm. Usually the set time limit for Armiger was 30 seconds but with this new form Gray could utilize all the Royal Arms for a 2 minute period before the time limit expired.

None of the three boys said a word about the new changes that came with their power once morning came. Instead they got dressed in the same gear they had on when they arrived. The boys were dressed in fatigues, tank tops and combat boots with the same color scheme they each had on the previous day. Natsu left his scarf with Happy, not wanting it to get dirty as he anticipated a heavy workout. Wendy decided to join in wearing a brown t-shirt, jungle pattern camo fatigues and black combat boots. All of the Slayers left their rooms and proceeded on exiting the lower levels of the palace and eventually the palace itself.

"So sleepy…" Wendy mumbled.

Gajeel was carrying the youngest of the group on his back. He and the guys were sometimes used to early morning wake up calls but apparently for Wendy this wasn't the case.

Natsu and Gray walked in front of him while Sting and Rogue were flanking his sides. It would only be a matter of minutes before they all reached the training field.

"Didn't you once say it's a crime to be up this early Pyro?" Gray asked after a yawn.

"Yeah but after sleeping on Tenrou for seven years…" Natsu began.

"Stop. I can see where this is going. I'm good." Gray interrupted with a raised hand.

Sting yawned himself before stretching his arms, careful not to hit Gajeel or the youngest Dragon Slayer in the group. The White Dragon Slayer leaned forward to look at the Shadow Dragon Slayer who look unperturbed by the prospect of waking up early.

"How the hell are you not yawning like we are Rogue?" Sting questioned with a raised brow.

"Meditation. That and Skiadrum taught me a few things to help ease my mind for early mornings and late nights." Rogue answered.

"Hn. And any particular reason why you didn't share that information with us? It would have been useful to know y'know." Sting remarked slightly annoyed.

Rogue smirked barely glancing Sting's direction.

"Just comes down to the fact you never asked."

Sting's eye twitched before he sighed and slumped his shoulders in defeat. Gajeel snickered while group continued on. Before they knew it, the Slayers had arrived at the training field they saw during the tour. The rising sun lit up the horizon, providing minimal light. The group stopped, all of their eyes widening slightly at the sight of several figures standing off in the distance.

The first three they identified were the same people that they met when they saw Zeus for the first time. The blonde with the dress, armor and a staff was Athena, Goddess of Wisdom. The dark haired woman dressed akin to a hunter was Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. And the armored man who looked akin to Spartan or Athenian warriors of old was Ares, God of War. All three deities were dressed in the same garb they wore when the Slayers saw them last.

Another trio caught the Slayers by surprise… it was Hippolyta's daughters. Only this time around, the three Amazons exposed not just their faces, hair and limbs but their armor as well, even though they kept their cloaks on. The tallest and middle sisters had the same black hair and blue eyes as their mother (not to mention their faces bore strong resemblance). The youngest on the other hand had blonde hair yet still had the same blue eyes as her older sisters.

The tallest wore a corset-like armored torso colored faded red with a golden eagle covering where her breasts were. She wore a blue skirt like old Greek warriors that reached the midpoint of her thighs. On her head was a golden tiara with a star imprinted at the center. On her arms were silver bracers with brown glove attachments that allowed her fingers to be exposed. On her legs were red armored boots with hints of silver and gold. For weapons choice she had a sword and golden lasso on her right hip. This woman's name was Diana, the eldest Princess of Themyscira.

The middle Amazonian that was shorter than Diana, wore an armored jumpsuit with no sleeves. The armor itself was black but shined like the stars were on it. Armor plating was located on the knees and shoulders, silver in color. The young woman wore silver bracers on her arms but didn't have the same glove attachments as her elder sister. Like her older sister she had a sword and lasso too except her lasso was silver. The middle child of Amazonian royalty, her name was Donna.

The youngest of Hippolyta's wore the same armored jumpsuit as Donna only her color scheme was red and gold. Her lasso and sword were the same as Diana's. The youngest of Hippolyta's children, her name was Cassandra but her closest friends and immediate family called her Cassie.

The last person the Slayer's saw surprised them even more. He had a build that was somewhere between Laxus and Orga (Sabertooth's resident God Slayer). He had on armored sandals like Ancient Greek warriors that rose up to just below his knees. He wore golden ornamented bracers that had a lion on them and a golden armored torso. Covering part of him was the pelt of the legendary Nemean Lion with the head acting as a hood and the body acting as a cape, draping down to the middle of his back. For weapons of choice he carried a large mace on his back, a sword at his hip and a shield with a lion on it also on his back. His face carried a rugged appearance with the curly brown hair and burly brown beard. This grown man was the demigod Hercules, proud Olympian legend.

Gajeel slowly let Wendy off of his back. Once she was on the ground the Slayers stood side by side, nervous at what was about to go down.

"Guys… I have feeling that this is gonna suck." Natsu said with a nervous smile.

"Ditto." Gray agreed with a nervous smile of his own.

* * *

 **One Moment Later**

The Slayers were then lined single file from shortest to tallest.

Wendy, Gray, Natsu, Rogue, Sting and Gajeel in that order. The shortest one in the group could feel the anxiety of her Slayer brothers as their eyes tracked the pacing form of the God Of War.

He took his time of course. Ares wanted to gauge the mages magic potential as well as their capacity for all things fitness. He had opinions and he might as well make them known.

"So you whelps are the mages of another world hmm?"

He stopped and looked down at Wendy who let out a cute 'eep'. Ares narrowed his glowing eyes at her before letting out a chuckle.

"Relax little one. The hells your brethren will experience soon are going to be far more painful than what you will go through." He said cryptically.

"U-um… ok…" the sky maiden muttered nervously.

The others paled and were sweating bullets. Ares continued to pace back and forth eyeing each of them up, almost daring someone to act up.

"Listen closely whelps! I will not tolerate weakness from any of you. You are strong mortals who seek the training and strength necessary to protect those closest to you. However…"

Ares stopped and turned his head to look at Natsu who looked back with a fiery determination in his onyx colored eyes.

"All things must be earned. Through your blood, sweat and tears you will learn what it truly means to have the power you seek."

They all nodded while Ares continued on.

"Behind me are your other instructors. You will learn the meaning of what it means to be a warrior and a true mage. If you want to live up to the potential that old fool believes is there then you will have no trouble for the trials that await you once you leave."

Ares then walked away before turning around and crossing his arms. He leveled the Slayers with the most intense and challenging stare possible yet no one cowered under it. Wendy had found her courage with the silent support of Gray.

"All that said… what say you whelps? Are you ready?" Ares questioned.

Everyone turned their eyes towards the one person they felt would answer for the Slayers. They all sent a mixture of smiles, fanged grins and smirks a mile wide. Natsu looked up with a feral grin before slamming his fiery fists together.

"Bring it on! I'm all fired up!" he exclaimed.

Ares nodded approvingly. Beneath the man-child exterior that was usual on display almost 24/7, Ares saw the hints of wisdom and maturity. He could see that the boy was destined for greatness. Hell, Ares took a peak into the salmon haired teen's memories and he learned all he needed to know about him. He was Fairy Tail's Salamander as well the legendary Flame Demon reborn. He would either save Earth Land from complete ruin or watch his home bathe in merciless hellfire. So the God of War could only come up with a simple response.

"Let us begin."

* * *

 **Que Training Montage**

 **[Play: Indestructible]**

 **(Scene Change)**

In a room filled with punching and kicking bags the only sounds that could be heard were the thuds of impact and the grunts of a young teen. Wearing only black karate gi pants with flame imprints was Natsu Dragneel. His hands and feet were wrapped as sweat glistened off his sculpted form. His hands flew in a rapid combo towards one bag before he spun around and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to the bag at his rear. Some of the bags in the room had already been ripped from their chains, spilling sand due to the power behind Natsu's strikes.

Natsu stopped for a moment, keeping his breathing steady as he was in a martial arts stance he adopted in his earlier adventures. He thought back to his motivation for training before snarling and lashing out with another powerful kick.

 **(Scene Change)**

The Slayers are all doing push-ups in perfect sync. At this point they've already passed the 150 mark. Ares looks down condescendingly barking out insults like there was no tomorrow. The others instructors looked on with smiling at the sight. Cassie of course face palms while telling her sisters how crazy Ares is being right now.

 **(Scene Change)**

Down on the sandy shores, the Slayers are racing each other on horseback. At night when the Dragon Slayers would sleep, they would often do spiritual training with their respective dragons in order to conquer the bane to Dragon Slayers everywhere… motion sickness.

Natsu and Gray were neck and neck. Their bickering had lessened to an extent, no doubt a result of the threats of harsh punishments that would be brought upon them if they outright brawled like they usually did.

Anyways, the others were just as determined and out of nowhere Wendy shot ahead leaving the Fire and Ice duo stunned.

 **(Scene Change)**

Rogue was taking sword lessons with Diana and small group of Amazons who knew how to wield blades with full efficiency.

He had a standard katana in his hands; it was something he knew he could be comfortable with. At the moment he was surrounded by four Amazon warriors, each training their swords on him with deadly intent. The first rushed Rogue from the front with an overhead strike. Reading her perfectly, the Shadow user parried several slashes before hitting her midsection with a palm strike and kicking her off to the side. The other Amazons took their cue and silently agreed upon teamwork being their key to victory.

Rogue narrowed his eyes before changing his stance. In a series of rapid slashes, Rogue deflected their blows, dealing some of his own before the Amazons were all tossed aside like helpless ragdolls. Standing tall with not even a scratch on him, Rogue sheathed his sword before looking in Diana's direction.

Hippolyta's eldest daughter nodded approvingly. The Shadow Dragon Slayer had made great strides in his swordsmanship and she couldn't help but be proud of her handy work.

 **(Scene Change)**

Floating and meditating in a magic circle was Irene Beslserion, wearing her witch's garb. Books were scatted across the floor and several were rotating around her person. She was soaking in this world's history as well the magic knowledge the Olympian faction had to offer.

And while gaining knowledge, Irene gained strength as well. Her magic power had increased at a steady rate and she knew it was only the start.

 **(Scene Change)**

Anna was supervising and aiding the Exceeds experiment with transformation magic. The results she got were… interesting.

Happy had, on several occasions, turned into a talking fish.

Panther Lily had trained his battle mode to a longer time limit. He was now getting into the groove of being in it more often in his downtime than in an actual battle. Just like those days in Edolas…

Carla was a quick learner and it didn't take her long to find a suitable form. The lone female exceed adopted a look similar to that of a schoolgirl yet she still kept her tail. Gauging Happy's reaction, she found out quickly that he would stop fooling around and try to get a form like hers or Lily's. She couldn't but cheer him on, even if only a little.

Lector and Frosch had made their own progress but still had a string of failed attempts like Happy. Anna couldn't help but sigh as she had her work cut out for her.

 **(Scene Change)**

Athena was at the front of a classroom, using magic to project several images on the wall. That day's lessons included geography mixed with history. Rogue and Wendy were taking notes with rapt attention. Gray was shirtless, chin propped on his thumbs as he listened to the lecture. Gajeel was leaning back in his chair only half listening. Sting was bored out of his mind, tapping his pencil on the desk with his free hand while the other kept his head propped up. Anna and Irene sat off to the side, being they weren't entirely apart of the main class.

Natsu was asleep with a goofy expression, drool pooling beneath. The poor boy was oblivious to the fact that Athena had stopped mid-lecture before she peered down at him with an unamused look. After several moments of tapping her foot impatiently, the Goddess gave Natsu's ear a good whack with the stick in her hand.

Once the son of Igneel was awake he was screaming curses, holding his ear while his fellow Slayers snickered and laugh at his expense. Athena and the Slayer chaperones couldn't help but smile and sigh at the same time.

 **(Scene Change)**

Gray is meditating under a waterfall wearing only a pair of athletic compressions provided by the Amazons. Somehow they managed to find his size and he honestly didn't want to find out how.

After sitting and meditating for 30 minutes, his eyes snap open and his pupils glow blue. Shooting to his feet, Gray summons the Royal Arm "Star of the Rogue" and throws it at several training dummies placed in the river. Off to the side, Donna smiles at Gray's performance. The Royal Arm returns to Gray's right hand and then he dismisses it not too long after. His lips slowly morph into a smirk as his eyes shine and glow that fierce ocean blue.

 **(Scene Change)**

Gajeel had his hands full as he was in the middle of Grappling with Hercules. He wasn't permitted to use his **Iron Scales** to reinforce his grip and strength, not that it would have helped. Not many mortals in this world or Earth Land could take on Hercules in a battle of pure physical strength.

The two slammed their foreheads together as Gajeel was slowly but assuredly getting overwhelmed and getting pushed back. He could hear Metalicana coaching him in his ear, barking insults the whole way as motivation. So thinking quickly to get an upper hand on his opponent, Gajeel swept Hercules' feet with his left leg before both his hands quickly flew to the Demigod's right arm. Pouring everything he had, he performed a takedown and slammed Hercules on his back.

Blinking up surprisingly, Hercules laid on the dirt for a moment before a fierce grin formed and gave Gajeel a thumbs up for the takedown. Gajeel grinned and 'Gihee'd in response. Although Herc was taking it easy on him some days, Gajeel knew he was improving with Hercules showing him the ropes in some areas.

 **(Scene Change)**

Wendy was sparring against Artemis using Bo staffs. Cassie, Anna and Athena decided to observe along with a few other Amazons.

It was kept in mind, Wendy Marvell was no warrior and that was in most part due to her magic being support based. But she was a Dragon Slayer and being a Dragon Slayer meant that at one point the person must fight to survive.

After several minutes of back and forth, Artemis swiped Wendy's feet from beneath her. Wendy, still as clumsy as ever fell on her butt before puffing her cheeks in slight frustration. Artemis, being the respectable Goddess she was, held up her free hand to her mouth to cover the giggle that she let loose.

Wendy not being deterred by her defeat quickly got up, dusted herself off and resumed a fighting stance. Artemis shook her head and smiled a bit wider. The Goddess of the Hunt admired Wendy's drive. With that thought she obliged Wendy in another round by resuming an attack stance… then they began again.

 **(Scene Change)**

Sting was looking downrange at 12 targets, all spread out for distance purposes. He had a gun at his right hip, hand itching for the draw. Ares was standing several feet behind him, arms crossed while leaning on the wall.

Sting suddenly went outlaw style and with a snap of his wrist, the revolver's barrel flew up and an explosive burst of rounds flew downrange. Immediately, six rounds found their targets. Sting then holstered his revolver before grabbing an M4A1 Assault Rifle off the table that was sitting next to a Glock 19.

Sting shouldered the butt of the rifle engaging in a mix of rapid fire and short controlled burst of rounds down the firing range. While doing so, he enhanced the standard ammunition with his magic for a deadlier effect.

Ares could only grin maniacally beneath his helm. These mages were starting to exceed the expectations he had.

 **End of Training Montage**

 **End Song Playback**

* * *

 **Late February**

 **Mt. Olympus**

 **The Forge**

The Forge is what the name implies.

Long ago, when Olympus was first built, Zeus ordered that there be some sort of room specifically designed for making weapons. These weapons were meant to be tools of the Gods and only the most loyal of followers. That plan was adjusted to account for the fact Demigods and rather remarkable mortals that came into play. Legends did as they always did, they came and before anyone could blink they were gone.

Jason and The Argonauts.

Theseus.

Perseus.

Aeneas.

Achilles.

Atalanta.

Hippolyta and The Amazons.

Odysseus.

Of course there was one name that stood out like the rest. He was a true leader, one of the greatest warriors ever seen on the many battlefields since man first experienced warfare and above all else… a true Spartan.

Legends aside, inside the forge was one of the Olympians. He had long, somewhat curly dark brown hair. His beard was long too, so long it had several braids. His irises glowed a molten red and yellow, perks of being the one who ran the forge. Although some of his torso was exposed his armor was dark leather lined with white fur that had hints of brown and black in it. His bracers and his boots were the same make as his armor. This Olympian was named Hephaestus and he was the God of the Forge.

Using his golden hammer he was crafting new tools as well as the necessary maintenance of old heroes. He had done this so many times it became second nature, especially given what happened all those years ago with the Isu. Their help was way too invaluable to pass up. The Forge master sometimes wondered what became of them but opted to focus on his duties and the future of the supernatural world.

As he finished up his work on another weapon, Hephaestus felt a slight tingle in the back of his skull. He hummed for a moment before standing up a bit straighter and looking around the room.

( _"What was that?"_ ) He wondered.

The Forge master stroked his beard for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. He was ready to continue his work until a bright golden glow behind him got his attention. His eyes widened and he whipped his head around to see what was causing the distraction. He walked over to where several weapons were displayed, these weapons having previous owners.

Hephaestus looked at the glowing weapon in question with wider eyes than before and couldn't help but be stunned. It had been centuries since anyone last used it and it wasn't the same weapon it was when it was first used in combat. Since the weapon was brought back it had been repaired and upgraded in the case there would ever be another worthy candidate to wield it. But that couldn't be the case now… could it?

* * *

 **Zeus' Chamber**

The King of Olympus sat in his chair contemplating on important matters. Things had been picking up over the last month and some change.

His guests on Themyscira had nearly completed two months of training under tutelage from select members of Olympus and the Amazons. The reports from Ares were quite promising and he was hoping to see it for himself as well. But to his own surprise he had put any thoughts of staying updated daily on matters concerning the other factions.

Odin and his family were doing quite well back in Asgard. Odin and the rest of the Norse faction put their efforts into working on a peace settlement for the entire supernatural world. The Egyptian and Celtic factions pitched in of course despite some slight bad blood between the Celtic and Norse.

The Shinto Teito faction was making moves in Japan and had recently contacted Zeus with regards to the Devil Faction and the name of a family who had ties to the Grigori. Zeus immediately recognized the clan and didn't hesitate to offer whatever assistance the Shinto Gods were asking of. In addition to that, the Shinto Teito faction had recently put some of their best agents in close proximity to the Devils occupying a territory in Japan.

Speaking of Devils…

What in the hell were some of them up to? Not only that what were the Fallen up to? Both factions of course strayed in the grey zone committing acts both in humanity's best interest and against. If the recent months dating back to last year were proof of anything, something big was going on behind the scenes. Luckily Hades, Hades' wife Persephone, and Hades' best commander Charon had kept Zeus up to date on many activities involving the two factions involved in the Great War.

Backroom deals were being made, alliances were being brokered and secret armies were not being as subtle as they were told to be. Zeus made it his business keep order and balance in the supernatural world, per the agreement he brokered with other factions.

As for the Angels, they had been quite forthcoming. The leaders and representatives didn't hesitate to inform Zeus on some matters that could very well be of vital importance. Several incidents in the past few months, maybe even dating years back had struck the Angels attention. The incidents and the details on each of them were no mere coincidences.

( _"With all that's going on the time might come to send them off sooner than expected…"_ )

Zeus' thoughts immediately drifted back to the group from Earth Land. If his theories and initial thoughts towards the rumblings in the supernatural world were true… then they would be his agents in the field.

Zeus had contacted Hippolyta and Irene earlier to discuss his thoughts. Once Irene was briefed, Zeus swore her to secrecy until the time came to declassify the information he provided. She agreed and they built a plan.

The plan was that her and the others would go out into the world and become temporary residents of a country while aiding to further the objectives of the Olympian faction. Not only that, the Earth Land group would help further the goals of the other factions with regards to peace across the supernatural world.

Now… all that needed to be worked out were identities, passports, transportation, housing, jobs, school and all the other necessary things needed to establish a temporary home.

Zeus sighed before tilting his head back. He needed a brief moment of clarity and the plan would come together easily. Once the plan was put together, all that was left was its execution.

"Zeus!"

Zeus' eyebrow twitched as he reoriented himself in his chair just to see Hephaestus burst through the doors.

( _"Must be important if he was running that hard. He does know he can just teleport here too right?"_ ) Zeus questioned internally.

"What's the matter Hephaestus?"

After catching his breath, Hephaestus walked ahead with a brown box in his possession. Zeus felt power radiating from within the box and knew that the contents were likely a weapon of some sort.

"Zeus… it has awakened." Hephaestus announced.

Zeus only raised an eyebrow at this. Just what in the world got Hephaestus so shook?

Seeing that Zeus didn't get what he meant, Hephaestus simply presented the box to the King of Olympus. After taking the box, Zeus eyed Hephaestus warily while said Olympian gave an urging nod. Zeus wasted no time opening the box before he was met with a golden glow… and a sight he had not seen in centuries.

( _"This weapon…?! Impossible! No one should have been chosen by this weapon unless…"_ )

"… it's his will Zeus. That I am sure of." Hephaestus finished for him.

Zeus stood up, closing the box while doing so. He handed the box off to Hephaestus as he began to quicken his pace.

"If that is the case then we must proceed with the plan immediately." Zeus stated with fiery determination.

"Plan?"

Zeus nodded as Hephaestus followed his king out of the chamber.

"If the spear has chosen who I think it has then we must make haste. Our time has come to put the pieces in play and finally bring peace to the supernatural world." Zeus said with a grin.

Hephaestus nodded and fell into a comfortable pace with Zeus. The Olympians weren't the kindest in the world back then. They were all selfish at one point, even Athena had her moments. Ares of course thrived the on the chaos brought on when wars were waged. The heavily armored Olympian even took great pleasure in watching the Angels, Devils and Fallen wage war on each other. But then again… if there were some kind of exception to the whole selfishness thing didn't apply to Aphrodite so much.

( _"Now that I think about it…"_ )

"What exactly will our roles be in this plan Zeus?" The Forge master asked.

Zeus sent him a smirk in reply that made Hephaestus a bit giddy. Whatever Zeus had planned it sure was going to be fun.

* * *

 **Themyscira**

 **Palace Bath House**

 **Evening/ Night**

January was a hellish month for the Slayers and that in and of itself was an undertstatement.

Ares was a mean bastard.

Ares was an armored, gruesome son of a bitch who took great pleasure in the misery he dished out.

Ares was a rotten fucker who only lived for bloodshed.

But…

Ares had shown a different side of himself while playing a big role in the Slayers training. Diana mentioned it a few times in conversation too. Being a god wasn't easy and neither was being an Olympian. Ares had of course with time changed his attitude towards life and after the near falling out between Zeus and Hera, Ares thought it better to enjoy life more even while continuing his duties as the God of War.

The Slayers and Exceeds all got a crash course in history of both the natural and supernatural world. The lectures and lessons that ensued were sobering, hell even Natsu had given some of his attention to what was being taught.

To sum it up, humanity had a more fucked up history on Earth than they did on Earth Land. Or maybe it was just as fucked up? Nuclear weapons, genocides, famine, climate issues, racism, politics and the list went on from there. Most of humanity didn't use magic, which made sense of course. It was just sickening to hear how evil people could be in another world but then the Fairy Tail members thought back to Edolas and quelled that thought.

The supernatural world wasn't all that tranquil either. Natsu was seething when he heard how more Amazons are born. After a brief overview of the origin story, more Amazons were created in a plan that involved either luring travelers with the enticing offer of sex or just capturing trespassing men. The Amazons raped their captives for their own gain and then promptly disposed of them after. Natsu would have challenged the Queen on the issue but Irene calmed him and the others down. There was nothing they could do to change the past so it was best to leave the issue where it was… the past.

Other than that everything went as smooth as they could with the training. The Slayers were put through the harshest training regimen that could make a lot of Special Operators from the various countries of Earth proud. Virtually every tool was that the Slayers disposal between weights, weight vests and private training rooms the Slayers were set up with the best resources possible to achieve their full potential.

The Slayers field instruction featured hours of hand to hand combat, countless hours of fitness that should have been classified as torture and most importantly weapons instruction. Gray had spent a good chunk of time refining his skills in using the Royal Arms and before long he found himself being able to use abilities that Noctis had used when he was alive. Gajeel was an enforcer and more than likely his training sessions with Hercules reinforced that title. His durability shot through the roof and not only that his hand to hand skills improved tremendously. The biggest takeaway was that Gajeel had finally unlocked the sword he saw in his soul. The damn thing could put Panther Lily's Buster Marm to shame not just by size but by power too.

Like Gajeel, Wendy had also unlocked her weapon much to her joy. But the weapon she gained wasn't made for killing per say. In addition to that, Wendy became quite the combatant, utilizing her petite frame as an advantage whenever she sparred with larger opponents. Another part of her field work included improving her medical skills and since Porlyusica was such a great mentor, Wendy excelled rather quickly.

Rogue became an expert in sword play and favorited the ways of the samurai and the shinobi. He had already surpassed a majority of the Amazons on the island and took to sparring with Hippolyta's daughters as well as Artemis when the Goddess of the Hunt wasn't mentoring Wendy. Sting's training turned him into the group's resident gun expert. The guns here on Earth blew the ones back in Earth Land out of the water. Best part was he could imbue the ammunition with magic to either lessen or enhance the effects of the bullets he was firing.

And Natsu? He pushed himself harder than everyone else.

Now it should be mentioned that the entire group had increased their respective magic reserves as well as added new skills to their magic arsenal. The Dragon Slayers had nearly conquered their glaring weakness of motion sickness. They could ride on boats no problem since sailing was a part of their training as well. The only issue that could possibly arise would be any type of aircraft. There was also the concern of the Dragon Slayers driving at some point but that issue was raised without their knowing when Irene and Anna conversed.

But back to Natsu…

Natsu was without a doubt the biggest standout when the Slayers were training. His reflexes, speed, agility, magic, and every other aspect had all improved at an exponential rate. He had more room to grow since he was a hybrid with nearly limitless potential. Sure, he wasn't going to be beating gods anytime soon but he could very well say his chances of winning against the likes of Acnologia and Zeref had improved greatly.

Now it is fair to say Class instruction was rather boring but a necessary evil. The Slayers received all the information they needed to know about Earth's history including the supernatural world.

The Devils were a bit of a hot topic and a sore spot since the Slayers and Exceeds just got done fighting the demons of Tartaros. Gray especially was miffed at learning the history of beings who he firmly believed to be evil. That was not the case once the lectures began. The Devils of Earth were much more different than the demons from Earth Land. The Devils were civilized and shared a dimension with other supernatural beings like the Fallen Angels. The Devils though did have a society that revered their leaders greatly and had a social structure which divided up their people into a class structure despite the fact Devil society nearly mirrored that of humanity. They learned of the Four Great Satans and their respective pillars or family lines.

Next they learned of the Fallen Angles and the Grigori. The Fallen were essentially loose cannons in the supernatural world. Azazel, leader of the Grigori, could be as sly as a fox when he wanted but there other times where he was a bit of an idiot. To Irene, Anna and Carla's disgust they also learned how perverted the leader of the Grigori was. Diana, Donna, Cassie and Hera all experienced Azazel's perverted tendencies first hand and nearly killed him when he tried to make any moves on them. Hell, Zeus even threatened to use his lightning on Azazel until the Fallen could no longer use his reproductive organs. Azazel got the message then and ordered all of his agents to steer clear of the Olympian faction.

The group then learned of the Angels and of God, as in God of the Bible. The story of the Bible of course was true with regards to the many figures and events that occurred back then. What the group didn't expect to hear was that God or Yahweh as he was called, was a casualty of the Great War between the three factions. God died due to two things, the first being of a broken heart. God hated what happened between him and his children when they had a falling out. Some Angels stayed of course while others fell from grace. Some of the Angels who fell were the original Devils, mainly Lucifer who ended up becoming the leader of the Devils not long after settling the Underworld. Others became the Fallen Angels, including the one known as Azazel. Following the end of the Great War, the Angel known as Michael stepped in to be a leader for Heaven and its people. God's untimely demise was kept a secret from most of the supernatural world and humanity of course wasn't told due to the consequences of having such knowledge.

As for the second reason, God had died was because he used up a good amount of his power sealing one of the great ancient beasts that could essentially jumpstart the apocalypse. The Earth Land group shuddered at that statement. A being powerful enough to require Yahweh to use up almost all of his strength just to seal him? Insanity.

Lessons went on about the Norse Faction, Egyptian Faction and all the other factions of the supernatural world. Needless to say Irene was very appreciative of all the extra information she couldn't get from the books. This way she could keep the group on their toes and remind them of the key figures they may encounter in the future.

The Earth Land group was then learned Math, Science and various other subjects that would be useful in their time on another world.

This routine of physical and mental work went on since day one… that was back in January. Now it was February coming up on March in a few days and now the Slayers could take it easy after a long day's work. That day's field session had been particularly daunting, especially since Diana and her sisters decided to spar against the entire group minus Wendy. Needless to say the Twin Dragons teamwork proved to be their saving grace in combat but they were still beaten in the end. The three Fairy Tail boys on the other hand… actually they were able to fight together just fine. While the Twin Dragons sometimes relied on verbal communication, the Fairy Tail Slayers fought without having to rely on verbal cues and worked together liked they had been doing it for years. The first few days, Ares had to iron the whole petty fighting thing out of their system and it took some convincing to get them to do team exercises.

"Man today was murder on my shoulders…" Natsu commented, wincing while rubbing his left shoulder.

The boys, male Exceeds included, were now spread out across a large bath house that was open to select Amazons and guests of the Queen. Of course several Amazonian women were in the bath house too, either enjoying it themselves or tending to the needs of the Slayers. The Slayers were manned only with towels, beige running shorts and black sports compressions.

As of now Natsu had his feet in the pool, sitting a few feet away from Gray. Gajeel was behind them getting a shoulder and back massage, as was Rogue. Sting of course enjoyed the soak and began swimming around for the fun of it. The Exceeds were around of course with Frosch taking a nap, Lily getting a spa treatment, Happy was getting a massage and Lector was in the pool with Sting.

"Yeah no kidding. I'm pretty sure Diana was still pulling her punches too. My jaw felt that last punch and I'm telling ya it still aches like hell…" Gray said.

Natsu hummed in agreement.

"Have to admit though, I'm enjoying this place more than I thought I would. Good food, training everyday…"

"And we got each other, don't forget about that." Sting chimed in with a grin.

Natsu would have agreed but something felt a bit off about that statement. So leave it to Gajeel to say something.

"That sounded a bit gay man. Don't ruin the vibe." Gajeel groaned out.

Sting stopped swimming for a minute and just floated in the water. He shot a Gajeel a pointed look.

"For your information scrap heap, I have a mate and she's hot too. And even if I was gay you wouldn't be my type given how ugly you are." He retorted.

All the guys but Rogue deadpanned at him.

"That was your best comeback dude? Seriously?" Natsu questioned.

"Hey at least the four of us actually have girlfriends! Unlike someone I know!"

Rogue immediately opened his eyes as one of the girls was getting his calves. He knew exactly what Sting was about to say.

Meanwhile Natsu, Gray and Gajeel, who had just gotten off the table, looked at the blonde Dragon Slayer questioningly.

"What do you mean by that?" Gray asked with a raised brow.

Sting sighed before diving underwater and coming back up. He went back to the side of the pool, taking the space between Natsu and Gray.

"Think about it Gray. I have Yukino, you have Juvia, Gajeel has whatever her name was-"

"Levy you dick!"

"And Natsu obviously has Lucy. So tell me, out of all of us here who doesn't have a girlfriend or a mate yet?" Sting prompted.

They all fell into silence. Lector got out of the pool and dried himself off before going over to a chair next to the one shared by Rogue and Frosch. After a few moments it clicked for the Fairy Tail boys. Natsu and Gray were a bit surprised but shrugged it off while Gajeel just grinned that teasing grin. He looked over to see Rogue with his eyes boring intently at his partner, sending the silent message of betrayal.

"So Lyos hasn't gotten a mate huh?" He teased.

Rogue simply narrowed his eyes. His gaze made Sting give a sheepish smile and Gajeel cackled loudly. Natsu muttered something under his breath while Gray just sat silently not caring much. But the Ice Devil Slayer was curious about the customs of dragons and Dragon Slayers. One of the first things he did in the initial days of training on Themyscira was apologize to Natsu about not believing Igneel was real when they first met. That then led to him apologizing to the rest of the Dragon Slayers as well even though he never said the same thing to them as he did to Natsu.

"Drop it Gajeel. I'll find a mate eventually just not right now." Rogue stated evenly.

"What? Need a little help from your big brother in the art of love Lyos? I can give pointers you know." Gajeel said with a wide grin.

"Are you trying to help him get in a girl's pants or get a girl's heart metal head?" Natsu snorted.

"Screw you Salamander! Just because you got a mate first doesn't mean jack shit to me! I'm actually trying to help the guy!" Gajeel roared as he stood up in comical anger.

Natsu winced before he started to argue with Gajeel more. Gray exchanged a glance with Sting before both mages sighed and decided to vacate the area. Sting picked up Lector and placed the red (or maroon) colored Exceed on his shoulder. The pair made small talk as they exited the bath house to find something else to do. The Queen had been making amends after the first two weeks and as time went on she allowed the Slayers more freedom around the island and the island chains. They had time to work on their swimming as well as hunt game in order to improve their outdoor skills. Plus they genuinely enjoyed each other's company even with the arguments that occurred.

Natsu and Gajeel continued to argue for several minutes even after they picked up their respective Exceeds and left. Rogue was now left at the mercy of a blonde Amazonian masseuse and several Amazonians filling the space. Frosch had woken up and now some of the Amazons were enjoying Frosch's company as they played with him/her (even after learning transformation magic no one dared learn Frosch's gender for some reason).

Rogue sighed before he found himself flipped over onto his back. The sight that met his crimson eyes made his shorts become a bit tighter. Two younger Amazons, the brunette and the blonde who were massaging him just now were giggling like school girls and had blushes painted on their cheeks. The two younger Amazons had white bikinis on with fancy gold rings. The Shadow user cautiously gazed left and could feel his shorts get even tighter than before. Three more mature Amazons were smirking at him with lustful eyes… and did Rogue note that the mature ones were completely naked? The blonde, likely of European or American descent with a bob cut had to be at least an E-cup and her nipples were inverted. The dark skinned blonde with short messy hair had tan lines and had F-cup breasts and the tan lines alone suddenly made the inner dragon in Rogue growl louder and louder. The auburn haired woman in the center had the same size breasts as the dark skinned woman and had the cutest patch of pubic hair on her mound.

While roughly three or four women distracted Frosch, the five that were eyeing up Rogue surrounded the table. The mature blondes got on Rogue's sides and started to rub his arms sensually. The younger Amazons attended to his calves and feet, rubbing them with the best herbal oils available. The auburn haired woman, whose hair went all the way down to the middle of her back, cupped his head with her hands.

Rogue was blushing furiously and could only groan at the contact of so many women touching him. He was very fortunate Frosch was distracted and not noticing his discomfort.

( _"This is too much! I can't take much more!"_ ) He screamed internally.

His inner turmoil was quelled when the redhead behind him started massaging his scalp. Rogue instantly became putty in the five Amazons collective grasp. They all enjoyed seeing him flustered yet relaxed if their chuckles and giggles were anything to go by.

( _"Gods this feels a-amazing…"_ )

"My you're tense Dragon Slayer. You should really learn to loosen up these muscles more otherwise you'll hurt yourself." The redhead half cautioned, half teased.

Rogue tried to compose himself to speak but the fact his body was betraying him made it all that more difficult.

"W-why are you doing this?" He shakily asked.

The Amazons giggled as they continued to massage him, if not painfully slow. The two mature Amazons at his side had faint blushes as they moved on to his biceps and pectoral muscles.

"We couldn't help but admire you and your companions. At first many of us were resentful of men being brought on the island even if they were teenagers and guests of Zeus himself. However…" the redhead trailed off.

The younger ones lost their bikini tops and had made their way up Rogue's thighs. His member was straining against his shorts and compressions. If this went any further he was going to need some immediate release. The redhead's right hand had managed to reach a sweet spot behind his ears and he started to fucking purr!

"Even after learning of our history and our initial treatment of you when you first arrived, you and your companions were kind to us. After your training started we couldn't help but gain respect and admiration towards all of you. And seeing how hard you were working for so many days…"

Rogue's eyes shot open a moment later after feeling the redhead's warm, moist lips connect with his forehead. The auburn haired Amazon opened her eyes, honey colored irises meeting crimson as the two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. The redhead then tucked a strand of her still wet hair behind her ear before leaning close to Rogue's ear. The Shadow user smelt her and at this point he wanted to rip his shorts and compressions off his person. The auburn haired woman smelt of pomegranate and faint traces of sweat like the other mature Amazons.

"We want to help you with a little stress relief." She purred before nipping at his ear lobe.

While she continued her work, Rogue's eyes lolled back before his eye lids shut slowly. He moaned lowly, unable to put up any resistance anymore.

( _"I think… I'm at my limit…"_ ) He thought hazily.

"W-wha… what did you have in mind?" He sighed out.

The five Amazons all shared glances with each other. The mature ones grinned lustfully, licking their lips as they looked down at the Shadow Dragon Slayer who at this point was at their mercy. The younger ones continued to giggle as they were eager to get out of their bikini bottoms. The redhead chuckled before her thumbs slowly traced circles on Rogue's face.

"That's for us to know and you to find out." She responded.

* * *

 **Royal Bath House**

Now…

While the boys were off doing their own thing Anna, Irene, Wendy and Carla were with the Queen and Diana. Donna was off on her own hoping to do some stargazing while Cassie turned in early for the night. Unlike the boys, the females were fully exposed, letting their bodies take in a good soak before turning in for the night.

Irene and Hippolyta were in the steam room while the others were outside. Wendy was covered in bubbles and soap as she sat on a small stool, getting her back scrubbed by Anna who, despite being covered by bubbles, exposed a good portion of her body namely her generous breasts and pert nipples that could potentially cut diamonds.

Carla had got in a good soak for a few minutes and was now laid out on a chair, wrapped in a towel. It would be important to know the female Exceed was in her transformed state. She did this often in order to increase her control and time limit in her current state. The Slayers weren't the only ones adapting to their increase in power as well as the changes that came with it.

"Honestly, I could get used to this sort of treatment." Carla sighed out blissfully.

It would also be important to know that Carla, while transformed, still behaved like a typical cat would whenever she and the Exceeds weren't doing some sort of activity around Themyscira. Both to her embarrassment and slight joy, a transformed Happy had seen her and couldn't help the blush that spread across his cheeks. After all most of the time Happy was oblivious and innocent in his nature. Of course that changed when he found Natsu and Lucy making 'kissy faces'. Since then he's slowly progressed in understanding human behavior and understanding his feelings towards Carla. So when those days occurred, the elegant Exceed would turn shy with 'her' tomcat and Happy being who he was could only be shy too.

"Yep yep!" Wendy chirped happily.

Wendy's hair had grown back some now reaching to her shoulders. Although the Sky Maiden loved having short hair (due to the compliments from her Slayer brothers), she longed to get her usual look back. She always felt a bit off whenever brushing her hair but she got over it and just made growing her hair longer a side goal for a future date. Or if all else failed, she could just see Lucy once the group went back to Earth Land.

Anna just smiled widely as she continued to scrub Wendy's back.

"It's always nice to get in these small moments. Even with all this training we've done, we deserve nights like these every once in a while." Anna commented.

Wendy hummed in agreement before speaking.

"Although I've enjoyed being here, I hope we get to explore the world a little. Do you know where we might go next Teacher?" Wendy prompted.

Both ladies heard a splash as Diana exited the pool, displaying her graceful, athletic body to them. She dried her hair with a smaller towel as she walked towards them.

"Speaking of training, you and your brothers have made excellent progress in your combat sessions. Although you aren't a warrior at heart your skills are definitely superb." Diana complimented with a smile.

The dark haired Amazon then ruffled Wendy's hair a bit eliciting a giggle and a small blush out of the younger girl.

"Only because we have such amazing teachers like you Lady Diana!" Wendy beamed brightly.

Diana, with just a towel wrapped around her shoulders, had an amused expression as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Now Wendy, I told you several times to call me Diana. We're practically comrades and friends already, so there's no need for such formality with me." The Amazonian princess chided.

"But I can't help it though!" the young girl whined.

Diana couldn't help but chuckle. Whenever Wendy whined at all or pouted, the eldest Daughter of Hippolyta found the Sky Dragon Slayer's mannerisms too cute. Hell, even Wendy's clumsiness was adorable something that was pointed out by Diana's sisters on several occasions.

"I know you can't. But if that's what makes you comfortable then feel free to call me whatever you want to call me Wendy."

Wendy sent a wide smile up at Diana as the Amazon's hand rested gently on the bluenette's head.

"Okay!"

While those four were enjoying some good conversation just to pass the time. Irene was discussing vital matters with Hippolyta. Both females sat side by side in the buff with their legs crossed, sipping homemade wine. After a few moments the silence was broken.

"Zeus has been contacted by the Shinto forces in Japan. It seems you and your group will be leaving sooner than expected." Hippolyta mused with a smile.

"Oh really? How interesting." Irene replied.

She took a sip of wine before sighing and leaning back to relax more.

"Whatever he was planning will be moved up by a few weeks now. And given that's the case, we will be wrapping up the children's training by Mid-March."

Hippolyta took another sip before continuing.

"In addition to that, your participation will be needed in a few matters concerning not just you and your group but our faction as well."

Irene smiled as she stretched before reorienting herself on the bench. She decided to lay her legs across Hippolyta's lap, while leaning back on both arms.

"I take it he needs me for my diplomacy and my power?" The redhead said.

The Queen sighed before setting her wine off to the side. She smiled as she started to given an impromptu massage to Irene's excellent calves.

"More or less, yes. It appears the time has come for you to show our world what you're made of. I hope you and those kids of yours are ready for the challenges that lie ahead."

After a moment Irene tilted her head back and closed her eyes. She let out a breathy sigh as she felt great relief having her legs massaged in a manner such as this.

"I wouldn't worry about a thing. We're more than ready."

A statement never more true than now. Irene was going to be kept busy setting things up behind the scenes as the last stages of the Slayers training would be completed in the coming weeks. But all the effort she would be pouring into the work being done would be worth it in the end.

It was nearly time for the Slayers to make their long awaited debut in a new world.

* * *

 **Early March/Mid-March (It's before March 15 at least)**

 **Themyscira**

 **Residential Area**

 **Late Morning/Noon**

Natsu was wearing his custom made black karate gi pants with the red and orange flame print on the legs. The sash wrapped around his waist was gold with black kanji letters on them. Like always he went shirtless, leaving the tattered gi top back in his room. His right arm was covered in bandages that he used his magic to either to put them in place or burn them off on a moment's notice. His hands were wrapped too and he wore weighted black wristbands on his arms. His ankles were wrapped and he sported ankle weights too that matched his wristbands.

Currently, the Firestorm Dragon Slayer was making his way towards the arena. By his side was a blue haired boy with what looked to be cat ears and a tail. The boy wore a brown vest, white t-shirt, brown shorts and brown lace-less boots. Around the boy's neck was a large green scarf that doubled as a knapsack. This was Happy in his transformed state.

"Any idea what's going on Natsu?" Happy asked as he peered up to the young man beside him.

Flexing before interlocking his hands behind his head, Natsu let loose a sigh and smiled. They continued down the streets in the general direction of the arena they saw several times during their stay.

"No idea pal. But something big is going down today." The salmon haired teen answered.

"Aye."

They continued on, being greeted by several Amazons along the way. The majority of the population had come to respect the Earth Land denizens greatly and formed a great friendship with them. Even with some lingering hostilities, the loyal warriors to the Olympian faction got along just fine with the Slayers and their companions.

Sprouting his wings, Happy lifted off the ground and decided to glide all the way to the arena.

"Can we go fishing after this Natsu? I beat my record last week and I'm hoping to nab me a big one!"

Chuckling at his best friend's excitement and priorities, Natsu reached over and ruffled Happy's hair. Even in another world, fishing was one of his favorite hobbies to engage in. With access to small ponds and rivers that ran throughout the island chain as well as the ocean, they indulged themselves on catching the different breeds of fish that congregated the Paradise Island chain. Happy got his fish into storage and Natsu improved his fishing skills.

Settling his hand back into its previous position, Natsu tilted his head to the blue sky above.

( _"I honestly wonder why the Queen changed up the training schedule today? I've been hearing her and Irene talking about something for weeks now. Hell, even Anna's been involved in their talks so something is definitely up."_ )

There had been some strange things going on without Natsu or the rest of the Slayers knowing. The son of Igneel brought up some of the things he heard with the others, this included the Exceeds. From what he could put together, with insight from END and Igneel, Zeus had a plan for life outside of Themyscira and the Paradise Islands for the Slayers and company.

( _"We get a chance to see the rest of the world and finally put our training to the test…"_ )

Natsu's onyx eyes dimmed a little and his face contorted into a more serious expression.

( _"But I'd rather be home with Luce and our family at Fairy Tail. It wasn't right to leave without saying something at least…"_ ) Natsu thought bitterly.

It goes without saying, those who are attuned to their emotions hate saying goodbyes. Natsu at one point, along with Gajeel and Gray, would say they could never look their loved ones in the eye and say goodbye. All that changed when they were forced into the Dimensional Gap and taken away from their world. Even though they could take solace in the fact the threat in their last battle was gone they were still so far from home.

In the end all they had were each other and they got over the emotional hurdles in the first few weeks. But the hurt and loneliness was still there.

Natsu shook those thoughts away and focused ahead. Several minutes had flown by and before he knew it, he and his furry partner were a few dozen meters away from the arena. Natsu's hands immediately dropped to his sides and he stood up much straighter, more alert than before. His fists began to clench in anticipation and the dragon (plus Etherious) blood in his veins began to ignite.

( _"I think I know what we're doing today…"_ ) He thought before smirking.

Slamming fist into palm and cracking his knuckles, Natsu chuckled as he heard Happy mutter an 'uh-oh'.

"To think we're the last ones to the party too…" He joked.

"Huh?"

Shaking his head at Happy's confusion, Natsu moved forward in powerful strides befitting a Dragon Prince. Happy blinked a few times before gliding in a bit faster to catch up.

"Nothing. Let's go pal! Time to go have some fun!"

"Aye sir!" Happy beamed with a salute.

* * *

 **Arena**

The arena wasn't filled to capacity like it sometimes would be. Roughly just under 100 Amazons were in the stands. High above, hanging back with the entire Amazonian Royal family were the Dragon Slayers and their Exceeds. Anna and Gray were nowhere to be found however, but they were close by.

Each Dragon Slayer was dressed in track suits of various colors with their respective guild emblem. Gajeel wore dark grey with black stripes, Wendy wore her maroon with dark gold, Sting wore white with navy and Rogue wore black with maroon. The Exceeds were all in their transformed states. Panther Lily took on his battle form, Carla took her usual form but opted to forgo the jacket that covered the button up shirt and wine colored tie. Frosch had very feminine features although Frosch could pass as either a girl or boy. Frosch still sported the frog costume, underneath Frosch had short, straight green hair. Lector had short, slightly spikey hair that was the same color as his fur. His outfit was the exact same as Happy's except he wore a blue vest instead of brown.

"Wonder when Salamander's going to show. Honestly, I hate the fact we only heard about the schedule change this morning." Gajeel remarked.

The Phantom Dragon Slayer was leaning on a pillar, so too was Rogue. Wendy was sitting down with her chin perched in her palms. Sting was standing off to the side and the Exceeds were keeping close to their respective partners.

"I know Gajeel. But if what Natsu told us is true, things are about to change for us big time. We just have to be ready for whatever comes next." Rogue commented.

"You think Teacher will tell us soon? Or maybe Miss Irene?" Wendy prompted.

"Whether they tell us or not I just want to see some action and put my training to the test." Sting added with a cocky smile.

"Only time will tell. For the answers we seek lie in the battle ahead." Rogue sagely stated.

"Well said Rogue." Lily complimented.

Carla hummed in agreement with an approving smile.

"Fro thinks so too!"

Rogue smirked, Gajeel grinned and everyone else shared some laughs along with some friendly banter.

Meanwhile below, Anna was wearing the same outfit she arrived in (leather jacket, jeans and boots complimented by a white tee) and coaching Gray up who had no shirt on but had on his combat fatigues and boots. His hands were on the wall as he was doing some stretches.

"So we're leaving?" Gray questioned.

"Pretty much. We'll be leaving shortly after your graduation ceremony." Anna replied with a smile.

Gray grunted before stretching his legs out. Given that they all had a crash course in martial arts, staying flexible was an everyday task. Gray was quickly figuring the puzzle out and came to a reasonable and exciting conclusion… he was going to fight against someone today.

"Irene's been busy on her end. Zeus had a plan and he needed help with it, main reason why she hasn't been around much."

Gray grunted and urged her to continue.

"We'll be making a life for ourselves here until it's time for us to go back to Earth Land. Until then we'll be operating both in broad daylight and in secrecy. All the details will be given by Irene."

Gray finished his stretches before approaching the exit to the tunnel they were in. Eerily enough this reminded him of the Grand Magic Games.

"Doesn't she tell you everything though? You guys are technically our chaperones."

Anna softly shook her head before crossing her arms under her bust and jutting her hip out. The Ice mage would have easily commented then and there how Anna was so much like his friend Lucy.

( _"Guess it runs in the family…"_ ) he thought dryly.

"She only keeps me updated out of necessity. Although she's opened up to us a great deal, I think she's just trying to adjust to the current situation. That and she used to practically run her own magic squadron or something along those lines."

Gray nodded and just as he was about to say something else he sensed a familiar magical presence enter the arena. He smirked and focused his attention forward. Receiving the silent message, Anna muttered something under her breath before leaving. The Heartfillia time traveler still had to finish mending Natsu's scarf. Shame on that boy for not taking care of it fully!

"I'll leave you to it then. Good luck to both of you." she said walking away.

Gray just smirked and stepped forward, brightness making his eyes having to adjust. After brief discomfort on his retinas, Gray looked ahead to see his opponent. Stepping out of the shadows of the opposing tunnel was Natsu Dragneel… grinning like an idiot (Gray's words).

Happy had gone up and joined the others, getting real close with Carla. The female Exceed simply had a light blush as she tried to remain focus on the impending fight.

Back on the arena floor, Natsu and Gray were engaged in a staring contest, Gray still holding his smirk and Natsu still bearing his fangs in a grin. Both teens could feel the energy in the air and the atmosphere totally shifted. This wasn't going to be like their brawls back home.

Diana was standing on an elevated platform that was a part of the stands with a small flag rested on her shoulder. She analyzed both mages and couldn't help but smile. The Gods, her sisters, her fellow Amazons and herself were only the starting line for these young warriors. She couldn't have been more proud to see the true leaders of this group of powerful wizards put their skills through one final test.

Diana looked over her shoulder to see her mother sitting on the throne, flanked by Donna and Cassie. Her mother smiled and gave a nod, signaling for the main event to finally commence. Diana turned her attention to the two combatants and began to let her commanding voice boom across the field.

"The rules are simple. You fight until you cannot stand anymore. You must win via submission or knockout. You may use magic and the skills you have learned not just here but throughout your entire life. This is a graduation ceremony gentlemen. This is your rite of passage. Give it your all and don't disappoint us."

Both boys adopted serious expressions before adopting their own respective fighting stances. After a short moment of silence, Diana raised the flag in her hand before dropping it ceremoniously.

"Begin!"

 **[Start: "Stand Your Ground"]**

Natsu immediately flipped backwards and teleported in a small storm of flames and lightning. He reappeared behind a slightly stunned Gray and kicked him right in the back. Gray was knocked forward, his face eating dirt for a few seconds as he slid before he pushed himself off the ground with his hands and flipped in midair before landing on his feet. Natsu was on him again, this time with a flurry of punches aimed at either his face or upper part of his torso. Gray's forearms and hands were coated in magic and ice, rapidly deflecting blows that would have worn him down and made him easier to knockout.

Natsu shifted and slid left, hoping to get a good hit in right underneath Gray's ribcage. Gray deflected the blow with a palm strike to Natsu's wrist before lashing out at the hybrid mage with a wicked roundhouse kick. The attack proved unsuccessful as Natsu timely blocked the Devil Slayer's leg with a forearm. Although no damage was done, the force of the kick knocked Natsu back, granting both mages a moment of reprieve.

It only lasted a moment both mages met glared at each other and mentally calculated their next move. Natsu made the first move and Gray quickly came up with a solid counter.

" **Firestorm Dragon's Death Claw!"**

" **Ice-Make Sword!"**

Natsu's right hand became encompassed by the combine power of lightning and flames. He leaped in the air before forming a claw and coming down hard on a blade made entirely out of ice. Gray grasped the handle of the frozen katana with both hands and was slowly being pushed back. Both Fairy Tail mages auras were alight, magic pouring off of them in waves.

It looks like the intensity just picked up.

Natsu backed off and flipped in midair before landing in a slight crouch. Gray dismissed his ice made sword and used his power to summon up a bow and arrow. Not even bothering with an incantation, a platform of ice rose from the ground right behind Gray. The raven haired teen leaped and flipped onto the platform before crouching and taking aim.

It didn't take a genius to know what Gray was going to do next. Natsu found himself under withering barrage of ice made arrows. The adoptive son of Igneel for a few moments just stood his place, maneuvering his body so he wouldn't get hit. Once he caught an arrow in his hands, he broke the arrow and then dashed right before having to weave his way through Gray's continuous assault from the fixed position.

Gray managed to knick Natsu on his ear and take away some stray locks of hair. But Natsu wasn't having any of it. He dodged more arrow shots before using **Aera** combined with his magic to leap high into the air before forming his body into a makeshift missile.

" **Firestorm Dragon's Valliant Hammer!"**

Cursing under his breath, Fullbuster dismissed his ice made bow and rolled right off the platform, just in time to see Natsu destroy it. Gray was back on his feet and used his ice to slide back to a decent distance.

Time for a classic.

" **Ice-Make Lance!"**

Several polearms and blades weapons erupted and flew towards where Dragneel dive bombed himself. Natsu using his reflexes and enhanced senses leaped into the air once more, changing the orientation of his body in midair as best he could. He did take a few hits to the abdomen that stung but he ignored it given the current adrenaline rush. Aiming for a good retaliation, Natsu lit up his hands in Dragon Slayer magic, hovering in the air as he eyed Gray with an eager grin.

Gray smirked and his hair spiked up as he drew his hand back and summoned his favorite Royal Arm: Star of the Rogue. Activating Devil Slayer without having to tap into the full power of the mark was second nature just about. Same went for Natsu and his Firestorm Dragon King mark.

" **Firestorm Dragon's Howling Fang!"**

Natsu rocketed down performing a series of swiping motions attempting to slash Gray into submission. The Devil Slayer deflected the blows while spinning his weapon. After the succession of failed blows, Natsu decided enough was enough… so he retreated and tried a different approach.

Gray started tossing Star of the Rogue and a slightly baffled Natsu watched as multiple versions of the same weapon was attacking him at various angles after being thrown. The Dragon Slayer took a few hits on his shoulders and legs, tearing his pants up more than they already were before. Not wanting to be outdone, Natsu crouched low before shooting forward and winding up his body.

" **Firestorm Dragon's Wing Swipe!"**

The attack and impact knocked Gray in the air. Caught off guard with no way to counter, Gray could only wait until Natsu reappeared above him in the air… before delivering a powerful ax style kick to his sternum. Gray impacted the ground and created web-like cracks in the hard earth.

" **Firestorm Dragon King's Demolition Fist!"**

Natsu was rocketing down at a high speed, right arm coated in his signature magic. If one could look past the flames and arcs of lightning, they could see the mark on Natsu's mark creating an outline.

Gray evaluated his options and he only had a few seconds before he would be knocked out.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Once Natsu's attack connected a large explosion and dust plume came in the aftermath. The entire arena was on their feet, save for the queen. Her eyes narrowed, trying to see what had been the end of a fantastic display from the two rivals. Diana followed her mother's lead, narrowing her eyes and gauging just what happened at the end but she had a feeling she knew the answer already. The Earth Land group were on the edge of their seats as they awaited the results of an entertaining bout.

Once the dust cleared, everything let go a breath they didn't know they held in.

Natsu's fist, still coated in faint traces of his magic, had found its mark… but not in the way he expected. Gray had completely coated both his arms in ice, formed them into a cross guard and taken the blow meant for his face. Natsu stood shocked for a moment before he sent a smirk down at his rival. Gray shot back a shit eating grin and couldn't help but comment.

"It'll never be that easy with me Pyro. You'll have to do better than that." The raven haired teen remarked.

"Tch. You asshole." Natsu snorted.

Gray would've laughed but instead he answered using both his feet planting themselves in Natsu's gut. Crying out in surprise more than pain, Natsu was sent on his back and performed a handstand before changing up his stance. Gray kick flipped back onto his feet and changed his stance as well.

Natsu's entire right arm became engulfed in arcs of yellow and blue lightning as well as reddish-orange flames. Gray summoned Sword of the Wise in his left hand and armed himself with an ice made tomahawk in his right. The Devil Slayer power now active, Gray's eyes glowed but instead of the light purple like he had possessed initially, this time his eyes were ocean blue.

Not wasting anymore time, Gray dashed forward as did Natsu. The raven haired young man however found himself on the defensive yet again as Natsu was snapping his fingers wildly, creating explosions in Gray's general direction. To his credit Gray weathered the explosions for a few moments before sliding back using his ice. He was hoping to put Sword of the Wise to use but it was time to pull out something bigger. Dismissing both weapons in his hands, he summoned Axe of the Conqueror.

Natsu stopped his barrage of explosions for a moment before igniting his hands again. His rival had summoned an Axe this time and he figured that thing would be a bitch to try and run with. But then it him like a ton of bricks as to why Gray would switch to that massive monstrosity of a weapon.

Utilizing the brief element of surprise, Gray did an overhead throw hurling the axe in Natsu's direction.

( _"Son of a… he's going to warp!"_ )

Natsu ducked and then rolled as not so much as two seconds later, Gray was at his previous spot before bringing the axe down in a powerful swing that disturbed the earth greatly.

Sliding back, Natsu got on his feet before taking a fighting stance again. Gray dismissed his weapon and got into a fighting stance as well. Both shot forward much faster than earlier when the fight started. Natsu and Gray traded punches at speeds they never thought they could go at before.

Uppercut to Natsu's chin.

Right cross to Gray's face.

Miss with a left jab.

Hit with a left hook.

Mixing things up, Gray lashed out with a kick, knocking Natsu back as the Dragon Slayer slid on the ground staying in a low crouch. The salmon haired hybrid stood up, only to be slightly hunched over. Magic power erupted around Natsu's frame as he tilted his head back and sucked in his breath.

Power flowed around Gray and he followed Natsu's lead.

" **Firestorm Dragon's Roar!"**

" **Ice Devil's Rage!"**

Two opposing torrents of magic power met in an awesome collision, exploding on impact canceling the attacks out. The shockwave sent both mages sliding back. Neither teen wanted to stop fighting once their adrenaline got pumping like this. Both mages settled into combat stances and grinned at each other.

Natsu had dirt stains, bruises and some cuts here and there. But the predatory gleam in his eyes only showed himself having the time of his life. Gray was in the same condition as Natsu and had some tears in his fatigues. Like Natsu, the Ice mage had this menacing gleam in his eyes that let others know that he was enjoying himself.

 **[End Playback]**

After several moments of grinning like idiots at each other, a sudden clapping brought their attention to on high. The Queen was giving them a round as a sign she was pleased with what she saw. She stood up and stopped clapping before making her way down to the field.

"Well done boys. I have to admit you gave us quite the show." Hippolyta complimented.

Not too long after reaching the arena floor, she was joined by her daughters and the Earth Land group. Wendy and Happy were the first to greet the duo as they sprinted (or in Happy's case flew) down the steps of the arena.

Natsu walked over to Gray and they smiled as Wendy approached them. Although the fight was cut short, they enjoyed it. It was a great feeling having someone look up to them and it meant all that much more when it was Wendy who was doing so.

"You guys were amazing!" She beamed at them.

Natsu chuckled and ruffled her hair while Gray just stood by and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"We did alright Wendy. We still weren't going all out and we didn't even go longer than a few minutes but hey." Natsu replied with a wide grin.

She giggled in response. Out of everyone she had met since the Oracion Seis incident all those years ago, she always felt closest to Natsu. He was her big brother, her Dragon Slayer role model and above all else someone she would follow to the ends of the Earth. Yes she had Lucy, Erza, Juvia and Carla who she all had grown close with over time. But there was an unspoken bond between her and Natsu. Sure she got along fine with Gajeel and even Gray since they were on the same team. But this was Fairy Tail's fire and her light in some of the darkest moments she experienced. Natsu was family and she wouldn't have it any other way.

The others joined in and conversed amongst themselves talking about the fight. After several minutes, Anna returned… along with several Amazons carrying the Earth Land groups belongings. Before Natsu and Happy could point out the painfully obvious, Zeus teleported in with Irene and Ares via a lightning bolt from a partly cloudy sky.

Lily of course covered his ears and cowered in terror earning mixed reactions from his fellow Exceeds. The Slayers attention however was on the King of Olympus as he strode forward with a proud smile and a brown box in his right hand.

"It is time my friends." He said in his usual deep voice.

Natsu strode forward with a friendly smile and saluted the God, earning incredulous looks from the Amazons at how informal he was being.

"Hey Zeus! It's been awhile hasn't it?" Natsu greeted.

Zeus for his part chuckled which made the Amazons relax. They couldn't help but smile and share glances. The situation was just too weird for them.

"That it has young Dragneel. I very much enjoyed the fight even though it was just getting good."

"I know right?! Man and I had Gray on the ropes too."

Said Ice mage rolled his eyes and smirked coolly. Everyone knew the statement was nothing hurtful in nature. Just a good ol' fashion rivalry at work.

"That aside, the time has come for you and your companions to go out into the world."

Natsu blinked a few moments, puzzled by what Zeus just said. Rogue surprisingly stepped forward with Gray right behind him.

"So this was graduation for us then Lord Zeus?" Rogue prompted.

Zeus nodded before presenting Natsu the box in his hand. Natsu took the box and his companions, minus Anna and Irene, gathered around to see what was in the box. The adoptive son of Igneel exchanged glances with the rest of the group before looking at Zeus curiously.

"What's in the box?" He asked.

"Only what to take with you."

Natsu felt magic coming from within the box itself. Whatever inside it wasn't a threat of some kind but it felt strong. He figured the others must've picked up on it too. He exchanged nods with the rest of his fellow Slayers before gazing towards the brown box which was almost the length of his arm.

Slowly opening the box, Natsu heard everyone suck in a breath. Hippolyta had come in from the side and her eyes were widened to their maximum as she held her hands to her mouth.

"By the Gods…" she breathed.

Ares stood over with his arms crossed, no doubt smirking as he knew why she reacted that way. Hundreds of years ago, that weapon now in the Dragon Slayer's hands had great significance and those in the Olympian faction knew very well who that weapon belong to previously.

Natsu reached in a slowly grasped the item by its handle before revealing it in its shining glory. It was a spearhead attached to a handle of metal and leather. The amount of magic power in the item itself was astounding. Zeus took the box off of Natsu's hands as Natsu worked the weapon with his right hand.

Natsu was calm and collected as he put the weapon through its paces. He honestly couldn't believe how lightweight it was. Not only that he felt like he was destined to wield something like this.

Irene walked forward gaining everyone's attention.

"You'll have plenty of time to practice using that once we leave." She stated.

Natsu gripped his new weapon tightly. He grinned before glancing at his companions for a moment. Then he looked to Irene with only one question in mind.

"Where to?"

Irene smirked before answering. There stay with the Amazons was just the beginning of something greater. Everyone looked at her with some eagerness before she answered with one word.

"Japan."

* * *

 **A/N: Time for a recap! (And some other stuff too)**

 **[1] – Indestructible by EXILE (feat. Flo Rida) from Street Fighter IV/ Ultra Street Fighter IV Soundtrack**

 **[2] – Stand Your Ground from Final Fantasy XV Soundtrack**

 **Recap time!**

 **Carla looks just like she does after the year long time skip. If you want an idea at what Happy's transformation looks like go to Deviantart, same goes for Frosch. Lector's transformation description I had to wing it.**

 **Natsu's fighting stance is derived off of the Turtle Stance from DBZ. Gray takes a fighting stance from the teachings of Muay Thai (kind of like Sagat).**

 **Diana is wearing armor based off of her DC Rebirth attire with elements from her upcoming movie as well as Justice League and Wonder Woman (2017).**

 **Donna is wearing armor based off of her appearance in Pre-52.**

 **Cassie is wearing armor based off of her appearance in New 52.**

 **Any problems with their appearances? Deal with it! Lol**

 **Charon is the name of the ship lieutenant from Assassin's Creed Odyssey. His appearance doesn't change at all.**

 **Persephone's character appearance will be based off of what she looks like in Devilman v. Hades (Good book by the way).**

 **Hercules' appearance takes inspiration from his God Of War and Marvel counterparts.**

 **No, he will not be joining the Khaos Brigade because **** Cao Cao! (Cao Cao can suck it!)**

 **But in all seriousness, Hercules will be a member of the Olympian Faction. There goes the timeline right? Hercules' weapons come straight from Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey.**

 **The Story so far…**

 **The group from Earth Land were with the Amazons from January to Mid-March and learned the following: Guns, Blades (Swords, Knives, Polearms, etc.), Martial Arts, Math, Literature, History, Languages (Rosetta stone put into the form of basic translation spells), Fitness, the works! And before you ask it is possible to learn a lot in a 3 month span. The Slayers were constantly learning even when asleep.**

 **Whatever happened in Earth Land may or may not be covered in a bonus chapter. I'll leave that three month time skip to speculation between you guys and girls. There was going to be a Lemon/ Lime/ Smut scene involving Rogue but that didn't make the cut. Might get put in one of the bonus chapters though.**

 **There's some time missing where Irene is helping Zeus with some stuff. Allies are a hard thing to come by so let's just say the bonus chapter(s) involving Irene during the 3 month time skip will be interesting. More speculation ensues obviously as to who Irene met in the DxD-verse.**

 **Wendy and Gajeel's weapons will be revealed once the group reaches Kuoh. Same goes for Sting and Rogue. And yes… Natsu is wielding** **that** **weapon. I'll give you a hint as to what weapon it is…**

 **(*Clears throat* THIS IS SPARTA!)**

 **Any guesses from the crowd? Alrighty then!**

 **Again I took the long winding road but oh well.**

 **So what's next? Our group from Earth Land heads to Japan, visiting Kyoto and Tokyo before heading to Kuoh. However, their time in the first two cities will be covered in bonus chapters. So, next chapter is the official start of the DxD story and the group's introduction to Kuoh Academy. The Exceeds will not be attending Kuoh Academy but they will still play the ever so important support role. I love the Exceeds, even Carla with her snobbish attitude but she's not so much a stick in the mud anymore.**

 **But yes my friends… the time has finally come!**

 **Question… there is a game called Section 8 for the Xbox 360, anyone ever played it? Aspects of that game remind me of Dead Space, Mass Effect and Halo.**

 **Anyways thanks for tuning in. We start the DxD story next (Finally!) with an upgraded Kuoh Academy (Kuoh town too), new faces and a situation that could only be described as crazy involving a certain pervert.**

 **Review section is open to anything! (If you flame don't make it personal please Lol that's all I ask)**

 **Later guys!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here's Johnny! (Shout out goes to Netherrealm!)**

 **Back for another chapter and the official start of the DxD timeline! (Yay!)**

 **In this chapter we'll get to meet new faces and see how the Earth Land group is dealing with the cultural differences. Oh and we'll meet some old faces too.**

 **By the way… Gajeel has discovered Earth's music and let's just say Karaoke night is going to be a blast. Wendy also has discovered the music of Earth and needless to say, like her canon counterpart she's going to be a star! (Oh the plans I have for her)**

 **That said, what I have planned for our two 'musicians' will be quite the surprise.**

 **What else is in store?**

 **A briefing on Kuoh Town and a revamped Kuoh Academy. You may wonder what changes I added right? Read and find out for yourselves.**

 **Star Wars!**

 **First things… Episode IX Teaser! (Already saw the teaser for DC's Joker)**

 **Second… Kylo Ren and Rey. Anyone else find their height difference… I don't know so fitting. Fan art for those two is always good. And yes I ship them. I don't ship them hard but I ship them regardless (Of course given the recent release of the Episode IX Teaser I may need to rethink that course of thought).**

 **Third… who was the better of the two? Darth Vader? Or Anakin Skywalker? It's the same guy yet two separate entities entirely. Anakin best represented the light but was continuously underlined by darkness. Vader best represented the darkness but there was a small light that burned in his soul. I love the Star Wars story and I don't think the movies did enough to really show Vader's true character. The cartoons, novels and comics do a good job of filling in the blanks. Also… the games do a good job of making our resident Sith Cyborg a bit more nimble. Why isn't that reflected in Fan-made stories more I have no clue. Is it the tech or is it something else? I don't know but that was just me thinking out loud. All that said, his story is tragic and you can't help but feel bad for all that he's been through in life.**

 **Fourth… Star Wars time travel fics? Best character to send back to the Clone Wars? Honestly, the Clone Wars is still one of my favorite things about the Star Wars story. The Clone Wars saga was nothing but total war across the galaxy. It's damn near the perfect war if you don't include the behind the scenes stuff with politics and emotional baggage that comes along with fighting for so long.**

 **Fifth… Avengers Endgame… I have no comments. I already suspected what the outcome was and I can't bring myself to go see the movie without getting emotional.**

 **Lastly… despite its greatness, the one thing MCU got wrong was the whole thing between Widow and Dr. Banner aka The Hulk. The one thing MCU got right was the dynamic between Widow and Captain America. The fact we didn't see that relationship blossom into something more was disappointing. And yes, unlike what happens in the comics, I ship Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers. They are a power couple and honestly a better pairing than what Marvel did with their comic counterparts. I mean Buck and Nat makes sense but Steve and Sharon doesn't. I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe but I stand by what I just said.**

 **But to better sum it up, since 2008, the MCU has been nothing short of fun. It's given us so much yet left us wanting more. It took advantage of opportunities setting up the story yet I still feel there could have been a little more done with regards to the characters.**

 **Anyways let's get to it.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **The Original Authors of Slayers of DxD were (and still are) Crossover Wizard Master and** **dude932. All credit for the original intent of the story goes to them.**

 **Hiro Mashima and any related parties own Fairy Tail and any related spin-offs, sequels or products of any kind with regards to the series**

 **Ichiei Ishibumi and Miyama-Zero along with any related parties own High School DxD and any related products of any kind with regards to the series.**

 **Any characters, places and ideas used in this story do not belong to me.**

 **Music, Songs and Soundtracks featured in this story do not belong to me and are used for the readers benefit (mostly my own just because lol).**

 **Use and/or mentions of historical figures, pop culture icons, religion and religious figures in general will be in this story for purely entertainment purposes.**

* * *

 **Kuoh Town and Kuoh Academy**

 _Kuoh Town…_

 _There are important events pertaining as to how this respectable town would one day become the center of major events that would impact the entire supernatural world. Alas, those tales are for another day…_

 _Kuoh Town is a good sized city located in southern Japan, several hours due west of Kyoto. Kuoh Town for all intents and purposes was (and still is) a respectable place with the vibe of a major city and a college town rolled into one. Very few residents could call this place boring due to how much they could do with what time they had on their hands._

 _Couples and Families had plenty to do._

 _Malls, gaming centers, shopping centers, somewhat exotic sights that includes parks, hiking trails, and so on._

 _Hell, even middle to upper class society found a place in Kuoh Town. They either settled into town because of their business or due to family reasons._

 _Outside observers are likely wondering 'What about school'?_

 _Good question._

 _Kuoh Academy…_

 _See the thing is, Kuoh Town has been around since 1904. Roughly a decade later, Kuoh Academy came into existence._

 _Kuoh Academy started out as a prep-institute that consisted of a female led staff and an all-female student body. For diversity purposes in administration, some influential males landed positions as part of Kuoh Academy's founders. Initially Kuoh Academy's education divisions went only as high as high school. In the Post WWII Era, Kuoh Academy got upgraded to where they could now accommodate a collegiate division._

 _Since its inauguration, Kuoh Academy has always been one of the top schools in not only Japan but in the world. It has managed to produce some of Japan's greatest minds in the fields of medicine, science and engineering._

 _Sometime in the late 90's, government officials called in Kuoh Administrators in hopes of convincing them to not only renovate the school facilities but to make the school co-ed. See the thing is, Kuoh Academy started accepting exchange students in the 60's so that was one thing. But it was another thing to even contemplate integrating the male populace into the student body. The primary concern was male student behavior with regards to treating their female counterparts._

 _There were several incidents behind the scenes involving male administration during the 60's and 70's. Most of the incidents involved sexual based crimes and acts of sexual misconduct between students and administrators. In addition to that, male faculty were also involved in these incidents since male faculty got integrated into Kuoh Academy two years following the end of WWII._

 _By the time of the 80's rolled around, corrupt officials managed to sneak into Kuoh Administration and the incidents grew not just in severity but also in the number of people involved. Several of these notable officials were corrupt due to their ties to the criminal underworld. By the time discussion of making Kuoh co-ed came around, law enforcement had rooted the corruption out for the most part but some rotten apples were still left in power._

 _Despite all this, Japanese government officials and Kuoh Administration agreed to make the school co-ed by the 2010's and upgrade the school facilities to meet societal standards._

 _Lo and behold, Kuoh Academy accomplished their goals and then some. And they did it in style while celebrating their centennial._

 _The Main Campus began with a good sized courtyard with a small clock tower at the center. The building that housed the classrooms, offices, meeting rooms and storage closets was standing tall at six stories high. And unlike the Victorian-esque style architecture it began with, the building easily transitioned to a more modern look like every other major Japanese school._

 _On the left side of campus was parking for both students and Faculty as well as dormitories for the girls who decided to stay on campus. On the right side of campus were the male dorms and the storage warehouse._

 _The storage warehouse was more than just what the name implied. The storage warehouse doubled not only for housing equipment vital to the school but also housed additional rooms for club activities. The building was built to be three stories high and accommodations were made so that a good portion of the first floor belonged to the Kendo Club. The Kendo Club even got their own locker room and showers as well._

 _Like before all athletic facilities were located behind the school. On the left side there was a building that housed a swimming pool for competition (nationally and internationally) and three tennis courts used primarily for practice. There was also the addition of an outdoor pool with the same dimensions as the indoor one._

 _Now on the right side, was a building identical to the other in terms of architecture externally but internally everything was different. The basketball court was also converted into a volleyball court as well as an assembly hall for important speeches or graduation. Additionally, there was a gym housed with every piece of equipment as well as locker rooms, steam rooms and storage facilities for athletic equipment. And the best part? Athletic trainers and on-call masseuses were available during club time in the mornings, late afternoons and evenings. And even better (if you're a guy)? Most athletic trainers and on-call masseuses were female, generally being ladies fresh out of college or experienced professionals._

 _Directly behind the main school building was a soccer field surrounded by a track. Stands were placed to account for just under 200 people whenever an official competition was going on. A tall fence was erected in order to keep soccer balls from being tossed into the brush in an area where the old school building was._

 _Additional facilities were located directly across from the school which included a student center and the pairing of both the baseball and softball fields with the addition of a walking trail that wrapped around the complex._

 _The student center contained several restaurants setup like they would be in a mall, a café/coffee shop, a bookstore, an activity room and several additional offices for faculty and student government._

 _Moving on…_

 _The one thing that didn't change was the old school building. No attempts were made to tear it down or clear surrounding nature to preserve it better. However, there upgrades done to the inside in order to accommodate for… something different._

 _And now?_

 _The school recently had some administration changes that ended any trace of corruption that could endanger the students. On top of that, the school gained some new employees in the form of an elementary school teacher, a high school Civics teacher and…_

 _A brand, spankin' new Principal._

 _Oh yeah._

 _Kuoh Academy was about to get hit with the powerful winds of change courtesy of a certain group from another world._

* * *

 **Que Opening**

" **After Dark"**

* * *

 **April**

 **Monday**

 **Kuoh Town, Japan**

…

 **Hyoudou Residence**

 **Morning**

An average boy with spiky brown hair and brown eyes who was destined for something greater woke up to the sound of an alarm.

"Morning already?"

He yawned and got out of bed, clad in a white t-shirt and blue boxers.

"Time for another year I guess." He mumbled.

Not too long as he zombie walked to the door, just a few inches away his expression brightened when an epiphany hit him.

"And another year of glories of the female body!" He exclaimed with a perverted smile.

 **A shower and change of clothes later**

Issei Hyoudou was just an average Japanese boy with a heart of gold… and a possible unhealthy obsession with anything having to do with boobs.

Yes… Issei was one of the school's resident perverts. He wasn't totally shameless though which was good.

Currently, Issei was dressed in the Kuoh Academy school uniform, modified for his own comfort of course. Instead of wearing dress shoes he wore blue sneakers. Unlike the rest of the male populace at the school, he opted out when it came to the tie that came standard issue with the uniform. Instead he wore red t-shirt underneath the student blazer, holding onto the dress shirt for emergencies.

Issei's Dad, Gorou, was reading the newspaper drinking his morning coffee. Issei's Mom, Miki, was enjoying her meal in silence while sitting next to her husband.

Fun fact… well not so much but still. The Hyoudou's at one point struggled to have children of their own. Issei was their miracle and even though he was pervert they loved him more than they loved life. Even Issei knew how much they loved him and they were practically everything to him outside of porn and friends.

After breakfast, Issei was escorted out the door by his mom.

"Did you brush your hair?"

"Yes mom."

"Do you have all your books?"

"Yes mom."

"Do you…"

"Pencils, pens, paper and a calculator so yes, I'm good mom."

Issei walked out with his bag under his arm and both hands in his pocket.

"Issei wait!"

He turned around wondering what his mother needed. He honestly didn't want to be late on the first day. Miki grasped Issei by the shoulders and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before pushing him out into the streets of Kuoh.

"Work hard and make us proud honey!" She exclaimed lovingly.

Issei did his best to hide his face as the blush he was sporting was rather prominent. He may have loved his mother but did she have to embarrass him like that?

( _"Ugh… why'd you have to go and do that mom?"_ )

He walked down the street making his way to school. In all honesty he needed a bike or something. That solution would have made transport easier in the very least but then again… Issei wasn't the most athletic guy around so anything where he had to physically exert himself would have been disastrous.

* * *

 **Kuoh Academy**

It was the beginning of the new school year for Kuoh Students.

College students were going through their everyday routine, attending the first day of classes without much fanfare.

High school students were obligated to attend the introduction ceremony per usual… as well as meet their new principal.

Shocking right?!

So the story goes a little something like this…

Kuoh Academy has this bit of shady history involving male members of the staff, faculty and administration when it comes to their interactions with the female students and teachers as well. This history dates as far back as the 60's and only recently has anything been done to ensure nothing like what happened in the past happened again.

So when rumors broke out about one of the investors (male) as well as the principal (again, male) and one of the janitors (also male) being involved in a sex & prostitution ring that also had some drugs involved, things changed drastically.

Kuoh Administration as well as Government officials did their best to sweep everything under the rug while making sure the perpetrators were properly punished by law enforcement.

That happened back in March.

Now it was the beginning of the new school year in April and how would Kuoh recover from a silent scandal and the lack of some faculty members?

( _"They hired a new principal? I wonder what he's like…"_ )

Issei did get along with the previous principal that much was true. However, Issei grew wary of the man after just a few interactions. Once he saw the janitor and principal meet a few times, he knew in his gut that they weren't on the up and up. Issei was more discreet on his activities around school in order to avoid the fucked up duo.

Issei sighed as he made his way towards the assembly hall. His friends were waiting for him and in likelihood holding a seat for him.

…

…

Friends would be stretching it actually.

Issei was a part of this colorful group known as the Perverted Trio. It was him, Matsuda and Motohama.

Matsuda was designated "Perverted Baldy". See the shaven head boy was a jock back in junior high. Matsuda ran track, played basketball and even liked to ride the bike on occasion. However, after discovering the miracles and beauties of the female body (as well as 100+ hours' worth of porn) Matsuda fell out of the whole sport thing and focused more on girls and school. What was Matsuda's role in the Perverted Trio? He provided the porn to his bros publicly and took the most risqué pictures of the girls of Kuoh Academy.

Motohama was designated "Perverted Glasses". Other than the square framed rims on his face, there's not much to note about Motohama. The specs wearing mofo at one point was chess prodigy and an outstanding student back in junior high. Like Matsuda, he too discovered the miracles and beauties of the female body (as well as 150+ hours' worth of porn) and went into high school as just another guy. His talent was using his "Three Size Scouter" to get a girl's measurements. After the first time of using this 'ability', he was on the end of many beat downs.

What else to note about the perverted trio? Welp…

Issei loved boobs and was a partial ass man. He may or may not have had a thing for traps too after some late night browsing on the weekend but he wouldn't admit it out loud. Maybe his secret love of traps was one of the reasons why he also was a lolicon. Oh and he loved MILFs.

Matsuda loved voyeurism and had a thing for sex in public places. The guy had also snuck in and gotten a hold of some girl's panties one time and… the guy may or may not have added several fetishes (that were way too dirty to say out loud) to his list once he got a whiff (or several). Like Issei was with traps, Matsuda kept his other fetishes secret too.

Motohama loved titties and ass equally. Using his connections, the young man had managed to snag some 'appointments' at some 'shops' he had seen. Let's just say his perverseness was a level above Matsuda… oh and he got a foot fetish too.

Back to present time…

Issei found his crew and sat with them. Of course after the trio reunited, they were subject to the overwhelming glares from their fellow students… the majority of them coming from female side of the student body. The trio could only chuckle nervously and direct their attention towards the stage.

Several members of the faculty and staff were up there, as well as several administrators. Some random suit was speaking, droning on about the continued excellence of Kuoh Academy and the oh so dramatic 'Be all who you can be' speech.

( _"Man this sucks. I just want to get orientation over with and go home."_ )

Like most schools around the world, Kuoh Academy first days weren't terribly long. There was the opening assembly, orientation for each course given, Lunch and of course after the last class of the day, students were let out early. Those that got out early either had more time for clubs or could just go home. Given how much there was to do outside of school, students could even venture to the mall or go to the arcades.

Issei brightened up as he started form a plan for what to do after school was out.

( _"First the arcade then I hang out with the guys!"_ ) He thought excitedly.

And by hang out he means engage in the activities of the typical teenage boy. This meant video games and porn.

Just as he was thinking of what the internet would kindly provide him and his buddies the suit was introducing their new principal.

The minute the new principal came onto the stage however… Issei's eyes as well as the eyes of every male in the room bugged out of their head. It took every amount of self-control for the male students not to make catcalls or even call out how drop dead gorgeous their new principal was.

Def Leopard would sound good for the current situation.

Strolling onto the stage was a voluptuous woman whose scarlet hair was put into a bun. She wore a Black pinstripe sports jacket (typical business wear), matching pinstripe pencil skirt, white short sleeve dress shirt or blouse, black stockings, scarlet colored heels, golden earrings shaped in the form of diamonds and a pair of scarlet rimmed glasses.

The boys were obviously beside themselves and Motohama had to resist the urge to call out the principal's measurements so he saved it in his head for later. Matsuda and Issei were busy taking mental images, if Issei's slight nosebleed was anything to go by.

( _"Holy shit she's hot! And look at those fun bags!"_ ) He exclaimed internally.

Drool escaped the side of Issei's mouth as he daydreamed about the new principal bringing his face into a loving embrace right into her bountiful bosom. And after taking a moment to enjoy her scent, Issei would give the woman the best motorboat possible. While he was daydreaming, Irene walked up to the podium as the students were clapping for her

"Good morning students. My name is Irene Belserion and I will be your new Principal this year. Please do treat me well and I promise to take good care of all of you." She greeted with a smile.

Although everyone was smiling for different reasons, everyone could tell they were going to like the new principal. She exuded an aura of classiness, confidence and warmth that should always be associated with school faculty.

Irene looked out to the crowd, maintaining her cover with flawlessness. She could definitely see that the males in the crowd were a bit overeager. This was obviously expected and in most cases predictable. She looked out over the crowd and picked out a few faces that she recognized from the files she was given.

That is correct.

Irene knew of the interesting characters that walked the halls of Kuoh Academy. And those characters were tied to the supernatural.

As she started to speak, the Queen of Dragons couldn't help but think…

( _"This is going to be a fun year."_ )

* * *

 **Sometime later**

 **Irene's Office**

Irene very much enjoyed her office. But this begs the question as to how the woman who was titled 'The Scarlet Despair' earned the position of Principal at one of the greatest schools in the world? That is a story for another time.

The office no longer had signs of the previous occupant. The walls were redone, painted white and dark navy. The floor was covered in soft carpet colored a slightly lighter shade of navy. On one side of the room were two dark colored bookcases embedded in the wall, both filled to capacity with books, movies, games and collectibles. Both bookcases flanked a large hanging plasma screen TV. Below the TV were gaming systems as well as the router and cable box. Sitting in front of the TV was a u-shaped couch and a glass coffee table. On the other side of the layout was the same except in place of the TV there was a large frame that shuffled pictures that was provided via Bluetooth or USB. Also there were two bean bag chairs and a small toy box.

Located close to the windows was the desk. The desk was built and customized by the engineering section from Kuoh's Collegiate division. The desk itself was dark in color, made with materials that were sturdy enough to handle normal caliber ammo from guns and small knives. Built into the desk is a pop-up computer screen that is routinely updated with the latest software and works with any hardware the user has purchased. The desk had more than enough room for the person to either hide underneath it or stretch their legs. Or for more interesting 'activities'… well that one is pretty self-explanatory.

Irene was sitting in a very comfy office chair typing away, making sure certain documents were complete for several matters concerning the academy. She was also resolving some issues pertaining to a select group of students enrolling based off of recommendation. The issue stemmed from the fact they would be a week or two late and their background checks weren't complete yet. But working her 'magic', she found a remedy and was able to get the students accepted without any more roadblocks.

She sighed before taking a sip from her mug. She then finished up some more paperwork before opening up some files. She reviewed each file within a couple of minutes or so and it didn't take long before she mentally made an assessment of the individuals she just studied for the umpteenth time in the span of a few days.

( _"The Shinto Faction's agents are in place just like I was told. They'll get a great education all while keeping an eye on the Devil heiresses. Honestly, Ms. Gremory and Ms. Sitri aren't evil by any means. They are good role models for young Devils everywhere and the perfect example of Devils who want to coexist with humanity more than anything."_ )

Irene realized she was missing some financial paperwork for the clubs. Even though it was the first day, she would rather have most of the paperwork done so her work load was lightened as the year wore on. She could maintain her cover and do her duties with regards to the supernatural much more effectively without the distraction of school paperwork.

A knock at the door brought the scarlet haired woman out of her thoughts.

"Come in."

Entering the room was a young bespectacled woman with her dark colored hair fashioned in a bob cut. She had violet eyes and fair skin. She wore the Kuoh Academy uniform but instead of long sleeves she wore short sleeves and had forgone the cape. Her alias was Sona Shitori, a 3rd Year Student of Kuoh Academy and the current Student Council Presdient. In reality she was Sona Sitri, heiress to the Sitri Clan and a Devil.

( _"Right on cue. Time for the ever important first impression."_ )

Irene greeted the Student Council President with a curt nod and smile before standing up from her desk.

"Glad you can make it on such short notice Ms. Shitori. I was hoping to talk with you at some point." Irene stated with a smile.

"It is of no consequence Ms. Belserion. Honestly, the financial forms for club activities needed to be done and I've also been busy making sure my officer positions were finalized." Sona replied as she adjusted her glasses.

Irene chuckled before walking around to the front of her desk and leaning back on it.

"Good to hear. Remember not to overwork yourself though. You are one of, if not the best student here at the school. Your leadership and work ethic are invaluable but you must remember to work in moderation otherwise you'll get wrinkles early and we don't want that do we?"

Sona smiled a small smile and shook her head in amusement.

"No, of course not."

Sona handed over the papers to Irene who them in her hands and started to review them one by one. While she was doing so, Sona's smile disappeared and a curious gleam came to her eyes as she got a read on Irene.

( _"Strange… what is this presence? Obviously she has magic in her but it isn't Devil, Angel or even Fallen."_ ) she analyzed.

Sona, given her resourcefulness had gotten access to all the files pertaining the faculty and administration. Her friend's dad technically ran the administration but he made an error when performing background checks on the last principal. She loved her friend like family, especially since both families were so close but she confided how her friend's father was careless and a fool for not doing such a good job. Despite the harsh assessment, her friend agreed with her wholeheartedly and made several comments regarding her family that wasn't all that positive.

So, when Sona heard of the new Principal she made sure to do a better background check even though her friend's father had assured her that everything checked out. What was odd though was how nervous he was when he mentioned the woman standing in front of her. Other than her spotless background nothing else stood out except the recommendation.

( _"I should keep an eye on her just to be safe. There's obviously more to Ms. Belserion than meets the eye."_ )

Irene then signed off and stamped the documents before handing them to Sona.

"Make sure to get those to my secretary so she can get copies. Other than that you're all set."

Sona nodded before turning heel and leaving.

"If that is all then I bid you farewell Ms. Belserion. I look forward to working with you."

After the door clicked shut, Irene went back to sit down at her desk and smiled.

( _"So do I Ms. Sitri… So do I…"_ )

* * *

 **Late Afternoon/ Evening**

 **Old School Building**

"I see."

Sona mulled in silence as she contemplated her next move. Right now she was playing chess with her friend.

Sitting across from was her friend in question. She had white skin (maybe fair, maybe porcelain), blue eyes that sometimes became blue-green at random (might be genetic who the fuck knows), and sported the Kuoh Academy uniform. Her most distinctive feature was her beautifully flowing crimson hair that flowed down to her thighs with an ahoge at the top. Her bangs framed her gorgeous face which currently held a warm, friendly smile. This girl's name was Rias Gremory and to the students of Kuoh she was one half of the school idols known as the 'Two Great Ladies'. But to Sona, Sona's Peerage and Rias' Peerage as well, Rias Gremory was the heiress to the most influential Devil Pillar in the underworld and the sister to the current Leader of the Devils. So in short, Rias was a Devil like Sona. Oh and she was also head of ORC or the Occult Research Club, a school sanctioned club that acted as a cover for Devil activities.

"So you agree we should keep a close eye on her?" Sona questioned as she made another move.

"For now yes. We do co-govern this territory so it would only make sense to take the necessary precautions." Rias replied.

Sona hummed, satisfied with the answer. Rias had a bit of a flair for the overdramatic along with some unnecessary theatrics. This only applied when she was hunting stray devils or defending the territory from unknown hostile elements. There was also the fact Rias loved telling the enemy how they were in 'her territory', which although technically true it was a mutual partnership that should have been stressed from the get-go… before the enemy was promptly annihilated.

Several more moves later, the door to the room opened up revealing two more young girls.

The first wore glasses like Sona except her frames were structured differently and had a different color. She had heterochromatic eyes (one violet, one brown) and long dark hair that went to her knees. She was Tsubaki Shinra, one of the best students in the school and a third year like Rias and Sona. Tsubaki also doubled as the Student Council Vice President and Sona's Queen within the Sitri heiress' Peerage.

The second was a voluptuous young woman with long black hair tied into a pony tail and violet eyes. Her hair was kept in place with an orange ribbon and although she wore the standard uniform her socks were calf-length instead the normal length just past the ankles. She was Akeno Himejima, the other half of the 'Two Great Ladies' of Kuoh Academy and a third year student like the other occupants of the room. She also served as Rias' Queen and VP in ORC. Now unlike the other three, Akeno was a Fallen Angel-Human hybrid before being brought into the fold. Now she was Half Fallen, Half Devil (and no longer human) but didn't really want to use half her powers due to… personal reasons.

Tsubaki stood off to the side to watch the chess game while Akeno took her place behind where Rias was seated.

"I've also had my peerage look into some… rumors."

Rias perked up and finally looked at Sona.

"Oh?"

Sona proceeded to make another move that would end up setting her inevitable victory.

"Yes. Recently, there were stories of some interesting individuals that appeared in Kyoto last month. Of course the Youkai are playing their affairs close to their chest and who can blame them."

Rias frowned at that last bit. A member of Rias' peerage was still very much classified as Youkai despite her being a Devil now. There was a particular case that was still relatively fresh in everyone's minds. Rias was going to do her best to protect a member of her family, even if the nagging voice in the back of her head was desperate to seek the truth of it all.

"In addition to that, we have every reason to believe that soon these individuals and various members of the supernatural could soon take interest in Kuoh."

"Like those members of the Shinto faction that are in our school?" Akeno asked with a curious tilt.

Sona nodded and made another move to counter Rias.

"I suspect they're here under orders to watch us. For what reason, remains a mystery."

Sona and Rias traded two more moves before Sona finally had Rias cornered on the board.

"Checkmate."

With a sigh, Rias tipped her King piece over and leaned back into the comfort of her couch.

"As always, you win Sona. One of these days I will get you." Rias said with a challenging smirk.

Sona smirked back. They were best friends since childhood and it was perfectly natural to be competitive with each other. They were the Yin and the Yang. While Rias was more of an extravert, Sona could be seen as an introvert to an extent. Both were incredibly popular, young Devil women with great ambitions yet they were polar opposites that complimented each other well. Rias was no airhead by any means. She was as cunning as they come and she was definitely no slouch in the classroom. That said, Sona had the edge when it came to anything like chess, supernatural politics as well as strategic planning. Sona was the brains while Rias was the beauty. And both their queens complimented their roles so well.

Sona stood up before straightening out her skirt and went on her way.

"Maybe next time. Until then, Rias." Sona said as she left the room with Tsubaki in tow.

Rias stood up before sighing. Then she walked around the couch before starting to strip. It was a slow process and she decided to make light conversation with her best friend and queen… who was also stripping.

"Things are going to be interesting around here aren't they Rias?" Akeno questioned as her skirt pooled at her feet.

"Yes they will. Hopefully no major scandal will come in the next few weeks. The last thing we need is my 'brother dearest' breathing down my neck." Rias replied with a cute frown.

Akeno giggled as now both girls were clad in bra and panties. Rias wore a lacy set in sky blue while Akeno wore dark purple adorned with lime green bows in select spots. The dark haired girl undid the ribbon in her hair letting her locks flow freely. After that, she went over to Rias to help undo the crimson haired girl's bra.

"What are our plans now? We still have business outside of club to deal with. Especially with you know who…"

Rias sighed as her gifts were now freed from their prison. Her pert, pink nipples stiffened once they came in contact with cool air. She turned around and helped Akeno out of her bra.

"Right now I just want to shower with my best friend and forget about business for now. Agreed?" Rias said with a smile.

Akeno giggled again before shrugging off her bra. Both girls removed their panties before Rias took Akeno's hand and led their way into the shower.

"Of course, President." The dark haired girl purred.

* * *

 **Late Afternoon/Evening**

 **Principal's Office**

Irene was standing by the window, looking out over the town as well as the school entrance. Her jacket that complimented her outfit was draped on her chair. She had finally finished her paperwork for the day. During her time as a member of the Empire, paperwork was nothing new to her. So being in charge of a school filled with people as young as 5 or 6 up until the age of 21 or 22, was not all that difficult to deal with.

A knock sounded off at the door. Irene didn't bother glancing over her shoulder since she knew who it was.

"Come in."

Entering the office was Anna Heartfillia and she was Kuoh's newest elementary school teacher. Right now she was wearing a sleeveless, beige turtleneck, a black pencil skirt, dark colored heels and a white smartwatch.

She walked through the office before stopping short of Irene's desk and crossing her arms beneath her bust.

"So, how was work?" Anna prompted with a smile.

Irene chuckled before turning and giving Anna a slight smirk.

"It was rather easy." She replied.

"That's good."

Irene nodded in agreement before turning her attention back outside. Anna decided to make herself comfortable and took a seat in Irene's chair. She crossed her legs and leaned back.

"I think they're getting settled in quite nicely. Our time in Tokyo and Kyoto was great for them, even with the reservations they had." Anna reported.

"Excellent. I already have the paperwork approved for them to start school so we'll give them a week to be brought up to speed."

Anna nodded and they settled into silence for a few moments.

"Do they know?" Anna questioned with a side glance.

Irene grinned before turning around and looking at Anna.

"Not yet. But they will when I want them to. The way I see it, my contingencies will keep our identities safe and us from becoming members of either peerage."

"What are our other options if Sona and Rias take a more direct approach?"

Irene chuckled before turning back to gaze out the window.

"Leave that to Natsu."

* * *

 **Evening/Night**

 **Streets of Kuoh**

Kuoh like most cities had crime.

Crime in Kuoh wasn't as bad as select cities in the US or South America or even the rest of the world. But crime still existed.

And one of the worst crimes imaginable besides murder was inflicting an act that was way worse than death.

Ever seen Goblin Slayer? 300: Rise of an Empire? That one international film that got a lot of heat?

Welp, that's the crime that's the topic of discussion.

Six random thugs were surrounding a pink haired woman wearing a dark navy business suit. All of them were in an alley where light was minimum.

"Let me go… please…" the woman pleaded.

Two men were holding her arms in place. Another two men were lookouts for each end of the alley… until it was their turn. The last two were in front of the woman. These final two men were the leader and his apparent second in command. All of the thugs body sizes varied. The leader of course was a smug muscular bastard with a scar on his chin and tattoos on his neck and arms. The second in command was a short, lanky bastard that could pass off as a middle or high school student. The lookouts were chubby fuckers with plumber cracks and smelled something awful. And the last two were just average looking thugs hoping to get some poon-tang and go do whatever it was thugs do. Thug life and all that shit…

"Looky here boys! She's beggin!" The leader exclaimed.

"She's a little early to be doing that right boss?" the short one said with a sick grin.

"Oh yes she is."

The leader walked over before leaning down and harshly grabbing the woman by her chin. She glared in defiance while the man had a smirk that just sickened her.

"See here little miss…" He began.

"Me and my boys here…" he said as he gestured out to the rest of the group.

"Need a little company tonight. And as luck would have it, you were the one who ended up being chosen."

She would spit in his face if it were possible. She continued to glare in defiance as the other men snickered while their leader derided her in the most ignorant fashion. The dumb meathead went on and on, giving details at what he and his fellow hoodlums were going to do to her. It was humiliating and frightening but her spirit stayed strong. His hand was going up her thighs that were covered by pantyhose. She would have liked the feeling of strong hands up her thighs if the shit were consensual. But it was not meant to be.

Luckily, before orders were given and the worse was done a gunshot was heard in the distance.

*Bang**Bang*

The thugs snapped up to what they dumbly assumed were the loud slamming of doors. The woman, having been around firearms before due to working with police, knew in fact those were gunshots.

A rescuer? Some idiot drunk and waving a gun? Maybe Kuoh was getting an amateur vigilante?

"Hey boss what was that?" Generic thug #1 asked while holding the woman's right arm.

The leader stepped away from the woman, releasing his hold on her. He looked around warily, hoping that no idiot with a gun was around. The cops were average at best since crime wasn't an issue so there were no hopes of a rescue for this woman. He was about to make his point by finishing his spiel and ordering his boys to hold her down. If they had to be rough with her so be it.

But after turning his head and opening his mouth to simply continue his spiel, darkness covered the entire area.

"What the hell?!"

"What happened to the lights?!"

"Boss…"

"Calm down you idiots! The lights will come on any sec…"

*Bang*

"AGGHHHHHH!"

The miserable bastard of a hoodlum leader… was shot promptly in the dick.

"Boss!" the other thugs shouted.

Several more shots rang out, as well as the ominous sounds of slashes being made with… a sword?

The woman knew she was free the moment the men holding her let go to grab what was left of their members. She would have been happy if not for the absolute darkness. This was odd to her though. City lights and the stars above should have still been visible in an alleyway that just lost its lone light.

Suddenly, as quickly as the darkness appeared it disappeared. The woman was wide-eyed and gob-smacked at the scene splayed at her feet. The thugs that harassed her were in bad shape but that alone was an understatement. She could see several slashes made to their legs, arms and torsos. In addition to that, there were bloodstains right in the crotch location of their pants. Needless to say, the men got what they deserved but even this was brutal. All she brought was a taser and some mace. Whoever her saviors were used a gun and possibly a sword.

She hurriedly grabbed her purse and ran out of the alleyway. But before making an exit, she turned around and looked off back into the carnage. Then she turned her head upwards almost knowingly.

"I don't know who you are… but thank you. You saved me. From the bottom of my heart thank you." She said with a genuine smile.

She made her exit and didn't look back after that. It was a traumatizing experience nearly being raped and all. But she was saved by an unknown person and she wasn't going to dwell on the what-if scenario. She was going to treasure life more going forward and get in touch with family. Maybe take that vacation she had been planning…

Unknown to the woman, two figures saw her leave from the vantage point of a nearby rooftop. Both figures then disappeared into the night… one in a bright light and one in shadows.

* * *

 **Kuoh Park**

Many dead creatures littered the ruined ground near Kuoh Park.

One of these creatures were known as Fallen Drones. Fallen Drones were Fallen Angels used simply as cannon fodder. In addition to that, they are usually located within some of the nastier places of hell. Their appearance is nothing short of creepy. They looked like raw meat tied up in metal and rubber. Their eyes were pupil-less and they could not speak. Oh and they lived up to the name drone. All they knew how to do was attack.

The second type of creature on the ground was known as Bussemand. These creatures were evolved goblin type monsters with hard gloves and brutish strength.

The last type of creatures that littered the ground were Stray Devils. Stray Devils were Devils who broke their tenants/vows/ contracts with their peerages and ran away. Now, Devil pillar members would claim that these beings became strays out of selfish reasoning. That was both true and false.

True because some low class or newly minted Devil was in all likelihood not adept to their situation serving a certain pillar. Not all Devil Pillars were born equal and not all of them were Gremory or Sitri. So the Low Class Devils would simply lash out for power, money and sex (lots and lots of sex).

False because resurrected or newly minted Devils weren't emotionally ready for a situation they were forced into. Like say… members of the church (ominous foreshadowing goes here). Some Strays just wanted peace or just wanted to go home to their families. None of them got that choice if they were brought into a peerage that didn't immediately see them as family.

But back to the matter at hand…

These creatures were dead or dying. They didn't come in droves like the medieval armies of old, no. The creatures came in a small group, hoping to ambush unlucky humans or maybe take their chances with supernatural beings in the area.

They were immediately met with an unstoppable force.

Three powerful warriors appeared out of nowhere and beat them, no… annihilated them in just a couple of minutes. The first warrior was an ice user who could also summon powerful weapons out of thin air. Sometimes the creatures would rush in and the warrior would just stand there with one hand in his pocket and the other on a weapon. Then ice would just freeze over them without warning. No words, no incantation and definitely not even a whisper.

The second warrior was a female who wielded what resembled to be a cross between a sword and a key. The overwhelming light in her magic seemed to pain all of the creatures present. The magic she used was even more overwhelming when twisters appeared and the dark monsters were tossed around like ragdolls in a crash test.

The third and final warrior was a male who wielded a giant broadsword that was about as big as he was. Like the other two, his magic presence was absolutely overwhelming and there was a foreboding sense that he and his comrades were holding back considerably against what they considered to be small fry. The odd thing to note about the broadsword user was that he was summoning metal spikes from the ground by simply stomping on the ground. Some of the creatures ended up having died from blunt force trauma alone.

The moonlight and streetlights that were still on help illuminate the area. Any of the creatures that were breathing could only catch a glimpse of the three shadows hovering over them. The three warriors simply gazed hard at their handiwork before disappearing: one in ice and mist, one in shadows and metal and the last in a burst of wind.

Nearby, two separate parties took interest of the fight, the aftermath and its participants. It seems Kuoh just got some new players in the ever dangerous game of the supernatural.

* * *

 **Downtown Kuoh**

 **Random Apartment Complex Rooftop**

A lone figure stood atop the rooftop of the complex, arms crossed and a small wind blowing at his back.

He knew that coming here was going to be the start of something different. This was the real adventure he and the others had been seeking. And believe him when he says that this adventure would present many challenges. After three months of training and building up a reputation in this new world, he was going to have to step up and lead this team.

He looked over the city and grinned underneath the shadows of the hood over his head. He could see his friends, allies… his team had completed their mission. Now it was time to debrief and turn in for the night. The weekend was fast approaching and it looks like things were about to get crazy.

* * *

 **Timeskip to Thursday**

 **Kuoh Academy**

…

 **Just outside of the Storage Warehouse (?)**

The Perverted Trio were at it again.

Issei, Matsuda and Motohama were peeking at the Kendo Club through a peephole that hadn't been covered up.

"Like holy crap…" Issei murmured with an excited smile.

"Murayama, measurements: B84-W70-H81 cm." Motohama stated while fixing his glasses.

"Good thing I disabled the flash on my phone. This will definitely be good fap material for later." Matsuda creepily added.

"Katase, measurements: B78.5-W65-H79 cm."

"Oh my god… that one girl lost the towel… guys I see her ass."

"Screw that man. I need some tits. We've barely had some nip slips."

"Who cares! Matsuda keep getting the material."

"Yeah, yeah. I got this, do you know who I am?"

"By the way Issei, how was the Blu-ray I lent you?"

"I don't know who or where you get this stuff from but keep it coming."

"Hey uh guys-"

"Did you like that one scene where…"

"The one where that one girl with the triple D cup did that trick with…"

"Yeah! Awesome right?"

"Guys-"

"You kidding? Man if only we had some girls who could be so generous…"

"GUYS!"

"WHAT?!"

"Ahem."

The trio turned around building trepidation. The sight they were met with made them blanche.

Right before the boys was every single member of the Kendo Club. Some of the girls had to rush out dressed in spare street clothes while others were haphazardly dressed in their school uniform, missing ties, socks and even shoes.

The only ones who had changed back into their uniform completely were the leaders of the group: Murayama and Katase.

Murayama was a brown haired girl with light brown almost golden colored eyes. The brunette was the co-captain to the Kendo Club and Katase's best friend. Her hobbies included hanging out with friends, listening to music, art projects in her free time, shopping and of course all things Kendo. Murayama got her love of Kendo from her mom who was a Kuoh alumni and a former member of the Kendo club herself, if the trophies are anything to go by.

Katase was a coral haired girl with dark brown eyes. The young lady was the captain of the Kendo club and Murayama's best friend. Katase's hobbies were more or less the same as Murayama's plus she loved the outdoors. Her interest in Kendo came from both parents being martial arts enthusiasts and her father being former military. Pity the fool who tries to get the drop on her.

Captain and co-captain were armed with shinai as well as the rest of the club. Somehow, someway they suspected The Perverted Trio was going to be spying on them after morning practice. So it was only right to dish out the proper punishment.

"Ugh! Damn perverts! Don't you have anything better to do than harass us?!" Katase hissed angrily.

"You would think after last year they would take the hint? Guess not." Murayama commented with a scowl.

Now based on her statement, The Perverted Trio had been up to no good since their first days in Kuoh. Puberty went wrong with their heads and as a side effect drove them to do dumb things that got them in trouble more times than they could count. The only reason they got away with their antics was due to lax rules and the administration. Although the three boys assured themselves things wouldn't be bad enough for them to be punished by the new principal…

"Reason why we're going to teach them a lesson while our messenger gets President Shitori."

… They would ultimately be left to the wrath of roughly two dozen teenage girls on a warpath to defend their honor.

"Okay girls! Let's get them!" Murayama shouted.

War cries sounded off as the entire Kendo Club descended upon The Perverted Trio and beat them senseless.

Sona came in after to halt the chaos, albeit after allowing the Kendo club extra time to punish the boys for their insolence.

* * *

 **A little later**

 **Principal's Office**

Irene wore a grey version of the outfit she wore to school the first day. Right now she sat in her chair with her chin resting on top of her interlocked fingers, neutral gaze set hard on the six people in front of her.

Off to the right side of her desk was Sona, filling her in on the incident that took place moments ago. Behind Sona, in the middle, were a battered and bruised Perverted Trio. And to the left were Murayama and Katase, filling in details of the incident.

According to the three young women, Issei and his fellow perverts decided to invade the privacy of the Kendo Club following their morning practice. Irene though had a strong suspicion since security feeds also feed into her office. She had video evidence of what they had just done along with eyewitness testimony and even physical proof. Normally, culprits of such acts would get a slap on the wrist and a mundane punishment. Not anymore…

"I see."

Irene closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before opening them again. When her cold gaze intensified, Issei and his friends felt terrified. Sona felt a change in the atmosphere that she hadn't experienced before when meeting with Irene.

( _"This power… she's letting off an oppressive aura in order to set these three straight. And I think she's just toying with them if any theories on her powers are true."_ ) Sona surmised.

"You two will fill out the reports given my assistant. Then you may leave and I will talk to your teachers about your absence." She told the Kendo girls.

Both girls took a moment to bow before glaring at the Perverted Trio one last time and leaving.

"Leave their phones with me Sona. In addition to that, I want you to think of suitable punishments. These actions cannot stand on my watch."

"Of course, Miss Belserion." Sona replied with a nod.

Sona didn't bow but did as she was told and left. Now it was just a cold, calculating principal ready to discipline her students. The three boys were sweating bullets and were ready with an ad-hoc defense.

"Listen we can explain…" Issei shakily said.

"Come on we weren't doing anything that bad…" Matsuda added weakly.

"I mean can't you have a heart and-" Motohama chimed in with a shaky smile.

" **Enough.** "

One word shut the boys down immediately. They all swallowed hard as the saw the silent fury in Irene's eyes. Little did they know, Irene could act out emotions so well no one could truly tell which emotion was genuine and which was fake. It was quite the skill to have when the situation or situations called for it. She smiled a sickly smile and her oppressive aura increased just a bit. Now the poor boys took a step back and looked close to wetting themselves.

"I know all about you three. Three boys with great academic and athletic potential, wasted on unsavory endeavors that involve your female peers as well as after school activities. Honestly, who announces out loud that they partake in pornography? Have you no shame?"

Issei for one could not speak and neither could his buddies. They felt like they were about to drown. The brown haired teen had a sinking feeling that things were about to turn out different than before.

"Truth is I'd rather not have my time wasted dealing with three troublesome teens and their raging hormones. As such, I need to make an example out of the three of you." Irene stated.

Issei's bad feeling got worse with what she said next.

"Issei Hyoudou will be serving morning and afternoon detention the rest of this week and all of next week. Any details of your tasks during that time will be handled by Miss Shitori."

Issei's jaw dropped and all blood drained from his face. He had never been punished that severely in his time at Kuoh Academy. Never this severe. His friends had looked at him with halfhearted sympathy thinking he was getting the worst of it. Oh how wrong they were…

"Your two friends on the other hand will be suspended until Wednesday. They will be serving morning and afternoon detention as well but this time it will extend into the weekend."

Both boys didn't see that coming and whipped their heads around to stare at Irene with indignation and growing anger. How come they had to serve detention on the weekend and not Issei?! In their growing outrage they also realized they would miss school and valuable time to keep their fresh grades up in the event of assignments. To say they were pissed was an understatement.

"What the hell is this?!" Matsuda exclaimed.

"Yeah! How come we serve weekend detention and he doesn't?! And who the hell are you to punish us like this! Huh?!" Motohama said hotly.

Irene simply tilted her head to the side innocently.

"Whatever do you mean?" she prompted with ignorance.

Issei traded glances between his comrades, whose anger was growing. He had two guesses as to why they said what they said. One reason was that they needed to stick together as a show of solidarity due to unfair punishment. Or…

( _"They honestly think I should be punished as bad if not worse than them?"_ ) He thought slightly incredulous.

"I'm sure if you read the student handbook you'll gain some clarity. As a matter of fact…" she trailed off.

The scarlet haired woman whipped out said book from one of her desk drawers before tossing at the trio's feet. Issei picked it up as his friends gathered by his side to see what their new principal was talking about. They all looked up to see Irene motion for them to read on. So Issei opened the book and found the section pertaining to the rules. As all three boys read on, they froze up realizing something that was nothing short of horrifying.

( _"No… No… This can't be happening…"_ )

"As you can see I hold your fate in my hands. Be grateful I was feeling merciful or your punishments would have been much more severe. This will not be a daily occurrence or I'll have a far more fitting punishment for you repugnant maggots. Do you understand?"

They dumbly nodded at this. She let out a low chuckle before leaning back in her chair and letting her interlaced hands fall in her lap.

"Good. Now leave. And be sure to pick up your paperwork before the door hits you."

* * *

 **After School**

 **Kuoh Streets**

Issei kicked an empty can, sulking at how shitty his day had become. He never felt this low before. And he certainly had never felt this humiliated before.

To recap…

Issei and his buddies decided to do what they usually do. Then they would get beat up by the Kendo Club for their antics which they had been doing since last year. And like before they would get some mundane punishment while being the talk of the school. But the punishments were never this bad. In the known history of Kuoh Academy, punishments of students never had this kind of severity since paddling was outlawed back in the 60's.

It seems the entire game had changed for Issei and his pervert buddies.

In the rule book, breaking of the rules set by the administration would result in harsh reprimands. The punishments worked off of a three strike approach. First strike was something akin to a slap on the wrist. Offenders would usually get a small fine or detention. Second strike meant offenders were removed from school grounds for a short time which would result in school work that students would not be able to make up (not to mention social status taking a hit). But the third strike resulted in expulsion and in the worst cases possible arrest for law breaking. To top it all off, punishments were left at the discretion of the principal which meant they could do whatever was within their power in order to prove a point.

So Issei reacted to this by glumly walking home. He faced the scorn and ridicule of every girl in the High School division of the academy. Hell, even the College girls made fun of him for kicks. And it was all thanks to Irene.

( _"I fucking hate that bitch!"_ ) He thought irritably.

In the very first week of school, Iseei had suffered the wrath of the new principal and now he had to be on his best behavior.

"Man my parents have a legitimate reason to kill me now…" He muttered in depression.

Before he knew it, he was a minute away from the school when he bumped into someone.

"Oh!"

Issei stopped in his tracks before turning around and felt a bit warmer than usual. Before him was one of the most beautiful girls he had laid eyes on other than the 3rd Year Students Rias and Akeno (alongside the Student Council President and VP). She had long black hair that went down to her hips, a slender body and violet colored eyes. She wore a uniform that wasn't the Kuoh Academy uniform but from another school. He noted this as strange but he didn't care about that at all.

( _"Holy shit…"_ ) He thought with an increasing blush.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know where I was going." The girl apologized with a smile.

"Uh-huh."

The dark haired girl giggled before staring at Issei with the most innocent smile. His brain had short circuited and he couldn't help but stare back. His mind was taking in every inch of her face, curves and other notable features. She was undoubtedly beautiful and for one of these fine pieces of heaven to be talking to him was a sign.

( _"I should totally go to church more often… or pray."_ )

The dark haired girl got in his space and started waving a hand hoping to get his attention.

"Um… hello?"

Issei came back to reality before shaking his head. Then he chuckled embarrassingly hoping to cover his slip up.

"Sorry. I was just spacing out."

"Oh! It's totally fine." She waved off.

They both shared a laugh before Issei stuck out his hand.

"Name's Issei. Issei Hyoudou."

The dark haired girl glanced between Issei and his hand for a moment before putting her hand in his and giving it a nice shake. She beamed at him and he swore to himself to keep calm.

"My name is Yuuma. Yuuma Amano. It's very nice to meet you Issei."

* * *

 **Meanwhile**

 **Principal's Office**

"Barely off of campus and he's met a Fallen Angel. Ugh… this boy is definitely going to be troublesome." Irene said with a shake of her head.

"At least no harm has been done to him… yet." Anna commented from the couch.

Irene hummed in agreement before swiveling around in her chair to face what was on her desk. On her desk were several folders. The first folder's contents contained several familiar faces. The second folder's contents consisted of all the Devils in the school with the non-Devil addition Issei Hyoudou. And the last folder's contents consisted of 11 student profiles who were associated to the Shinto faction.

She smiled to herself as she thought of what the next few days held in store.

Elsewhere, the Devils were having their own discussion to the revelation of a possible enemy.

The powerful forces within Kuoh were going to collide in the most interesting of ways…

* * *

 **Que Ending**

" **Kaze wa Mirai ni Fuku"**

* * *

 **A/N: Time for the recap! (I've got nothing witty or any attempts at wit right now)**

 **[1] – After Dark by Asian Kung-Fu Generation featured in Bleach**

 **[2] -** **Kaze wa Mirai ni Fuku by Akima & Neos featured in Trigun**

 **If you want an idea as to what Kuoh Academy looks like right now think of it like this…**

 **Take the school from Moe! Ninja Girls, Gunpla Academy from New Gundam Breaker and the fancy school from Beelzebub, combine those three and you get the Kuoh Academy I upgraded.**

 **Here's the rundown:**

 **Main building is larger, more modern in acrchitecture**

 **Indoor Pool**

 **Outdoor Pool**

 **Indoor Tennis Courts**

 **Basketball arena that doubles as an assembly hall and volleyball court**

 **Gym that features a complimentary spa (Yes you read that right)**

 **Student center (Extra cafeteria, book store, coffee shop, three or four brand name restaurants, extra faculty offices, student government offices, extra storage facilities and game rooms)**

 **Sports complex (2 softball field, 1 baseball field, walking trail, 1 soccer field)**

 **Boys Dorms (High school and College)**

 **Girls Dorms (High school and College)**

 **Storage warehouse (For storage and extra rooms for club activities including Kendo)**

 **Better classrooms**

 **Principal's office upgraded**

 **Love it? Hate it? Tell me people!**

 **I have a lot to explain for in my absence. So I'll sum it up as best I can. I finished college (yay me) and now I'm job hunting. With this new free time, I'll be catching up on some much needed gamer time and my stories. In addition to that, I have more projects for the site. Well sort of…**

 **Ladies and Gents, I now have a Marvel based project inspired by the release of Avengers Endgame. When will it be released? Don't know but it will be fun to work on. The difficult part will be tapping into humor. Humor is not my strongest point in my stories but I try my best to make sure there is something funny in the content.**

 **This is part 1 of the Slayers introduction into Kuoh. Part 2 brings in our guest stars as well as the Slayers first day at Kuoh Academy. That and we deviate from canon in the next chapter. I got lazy on the recap because there isn't much here to discuss. Natsu and company are in Kuoh. Period.**

 **So as always leave comments (again if you flame, don't make it personal). I like leaving comments when I read another author's stories and I've enjoyed the comments I get on mine.**

 **You're wonderful!**

 **Peace out!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys!**

 **So time for an update with me…**

 **Saw Godzilla King of the Monsters and loved it. Movie took me back to my memories as a kid watching the old Godzilla movies made by Toho. Honestly, re-watching it is an option I will be taking full advantage of (and did). That's my spoiler-free review.**

 ***Warning: Spoilers Ahead***

 **So I guess we start with where the opening scene takes place. Three members of a star studded cast, are a family in this movie. Due to the San Francisco incident, the family of four is now a family of three. Not only that, the parents are members of our favorite super-secret monster hunter organization Monarch. Anyways, Godzilla's emergence and battle against the MUTOs spark the Kaiju/Titan debate which rages on for years.**

 **There are nods to Kong Skull Island that are subtle and not so subtle. Hell, our favorite giant ape made an appearance in archival footage that made me giddy with delight.**

 **Ghidorah's origin stayed the same. Those who were and still are avid followers of the older Toho movies would be quick to note how King Ghidorah originally came from the stars. Thus, Legendary now has the opportunity to expand the Monster-verse and include other Kaiju like Space Godzilla, Biolante, Gigan (not sure if he's alien) and maybe even Destroyah (heaven forbid). So kudos to the Director and the writers for the respect shown for Toho's other king.**

 **The Oxygen Destroyer made an appearance… and it backfired spectacularly. Lol**

 **The Kaiju fights were awesome. Need I say more?**

 **Long live the King and Long live the Queen. Seriously, love and praise to Mothra. She was the show stealer and showstopper. Honestly I can't heap enough praise for how well they were able to portray her. Other than the Kaiju fights, she helped make the movie what it is.**

 **They brought back the original Godzilla theme made famous from our friends at Toho. Like OMG! Yes!**

 **At the end of the day, Legendary should get a significant return on investment while giving fans lasting memories for a good movie. And not only that, they've made the proper setup for the next movie. I'd give it a solid 8.5/10 (Pushing towards 9).**

 ***End of Spoilers***

 **Also, I found work but I cannot exactly say what type. All you guys need to know is that I will be gone for the foreseeable future starting mid-July. Will I be back? Definitely. I owe you guys stories and I can balance out my career and my favorite hobby. I enjoy reading stories and I enjoy doing stories for you and for myself. Until then, I'll keep working on the stories in progress. Hopefully I hit a good stopping point where you guys can just re-read the stories on a blue moon.**

 **In response to what you guys thought about the previous chapter… glad you enjoyed it and sorry for the wait. And yes, we've finally started the DxD story.**

 **Lastly an announcement… we will now be rolling with a gender for Frosch!**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **The Original Authors of Slayers of DxD were (and still are) Crossover Wizard Master and** **dude932. All credit for the original intent of the story goes to them.**

 **Hiro Mashima and any related parties own Fairy Tail and any related spin-offs, sequels or products of any kind with regards to the series**

 **Ichiei Ishibumi and Miyama-Zero along with any related parties own High School DxD and any related products of any kind with regards to the series.**

 **Any characters, places and ideas used in this story do not belong to me (unless verified that they are OCs).**

 **Music, Songs and Soundtracks featured in this story do not belong to me and are used for the readers benefit (mostly my own just because lol).**

 **Use and/or mentions of historical figures, pop culture icons, religion and religious figures in general will be in this story for purely entertainment purposes.**

* * *

 **Que Opening**

" **After Dark"**

* * *

 **April**

 **Friday**

 **Afternoon/Evening**

 **Kuoh Academy**

 **Courtyard**

Things were looking up for Issei Hyoudou.

It was still the first week of school of course and things hadn't exactly gone his way (as usual given his reputation).

To recap, Issei was served a harsh notice for being a pervert alongside his buddies. Hell, it wasn't even the second week of school and he was already in hot water with his folks and the authoritative figures of the school. To make things worse, the girls thought even less of them more so than usual.

But he couldn't care less. Why?

Issei Hyoudou, 'esteemed' leader of The Perverted Trio had gotten himself a date.

Him. A Date. With a girl. An actual girl, girl.

Everyone of course called bullshit on his claim so he proved them all wrong. He showed Yuuma's phone number, email, a few pictures with just her and then both of them together along with text messages. The guys (including Baldy and Glasses) were obviously jealous yet they rooted for him (with hesitance) while the girls doubt he would get very far given his reputation.

He didn't care. It was the best he had felt in a long time.

In the matter of a few hours after getting punished by the new Principal and being at an all-time low, his spirits were lifted by the dark haired beauty that apparently wanted to spend time with family in town (which explained the different uniform). After exchanging names and numbers (also promptly getting embarrassed for having a flip phone), Yuuma wanted to know everything about him and told little about herself. She wanted to save that for their date on Sunday. She would do some clothes shopping if she had the time tomorrow and let Issei plan the date. Sure it was odd going on a date on a Sunday but who cared!

Issei marched triumphantly out of the doors of the building and towards the entrance of the school. He strutted through the courtyard with a smile on his face, ignoring the conversations going on around him. Especially one in particular…

As Issei was moseying his way on out, four students stopped their conversation and observed him.

The first was the tallest amongst the group and a third year student. She had purple hair, honey colored irises, dark skin and a very, very generous figure. Her school uniform was modified to forgo the tie as well as the cape and she left a few buttons undone to give both male and female members of the student body a good view of her bust. Her name was Tengge Yomoda and while getting an education (third year student) she was also member of a Shinobi group that served the Shinto Faction.

The second was a fair skinned girl with a well-developed figure and sharp, slanted green eyes. Her hair is partially held back by a blue ribbon, which was a gift from her best friend. Her inner bangs are slightly parted while her outer bangs curve inward around cheek length while her forelocks are past her shoulders down to her chest. Her name was Enju Saion-ji and she's a second year student who also serves the Shinto Faction alongside Tengge.

The third had light skin and a well-developed figure (there is a pattern with most if not all female students). Her eyes were gently slanted and contained red irises. Her blonde hair was short with a section of it curving outward. Her forelocks are nose length and layered over her evenly spiked bangs. In addition to that she had a cowlick that curved downward. Her name was Akari Hanao, second year student like her best friend Enju and a fellow Kunoichi like both Enju and Tengge.

The last had a fair complexion, sharp azure colored eyes and short silver hair that was cut inches above her shoulder. Her spiked bangs were layered beneath her forelocks. On one side of her hair is a diamond shaped clip with a blue pearl in the center. Like Tengge, she modified her uniform. She had forgone the cape but not the tie and she included a dark colored sweater vest. Her name was Ricka Machiyuki, a second year student and like her comrades a Kunoichi who served the Shinto faction.

"What in blazes is that hentai smiling about?" Enju inquired with a scowl.

Tengge and Akari blinked before looking over at a smiling Issei as the boy in question was walking off of campus. Tengge chuckled before giving her input.

"I believe it has something to do with the fact he met that girl yesterday." She replied.

Enju huffed while Akari gained a thoughtful look. Ricka simply observed her fellow Shinobi while contemplating her own analysis.

"But Issei isn't a member of any faction though. Why would a Fallen Angel want him?" Akari asked.

"I'm sure she and whoever she's working with has their reasons, but you make a good point." Tengge acquiesced.

Enju crossed her arms and looked over her shoulder at Ricka who was as stoic as ever.

"Machiyuki, what are your thoughts?"

Ricka closed her eyes and hummed thoughtfully. Akari and Tengge were also curious as to what their teammate thought. The silver haired teen opened her eyes and looked at the direction in which Issei exited.

"Mystery surrounds Issei. Power surrounds him too. Must investigate further. Too many unknowns." Ricka answered.

Tengge and Akari chuckled while Enju let out an exasperated sigh. The four of them plus a few others had known each other for a long time now. Adjusting to each other's personalities and mannerisms was not easy. Ricka was the most stoic of the group next to Lily Fuma. So yeah, although everyone was quite close no one was used to Ricka completely.

"Regardless, we all have work to do. Club comes first then we can proceed with everything else. There's still much to be done and we can't afford to get sloppy." Enju told them.

They all collectively agreed. Their primary mission as Shinobi serving the Shinto faction was to safeguard the citizens in the area as well as keep an eye on the Devil peerages. They had the strictest orders not to fight either peerage group and any conflict with them would spell disaster for faction relations in the future. Plus, they knew of the capabilities of each individual Devil so fighting them was definitely a no go.

* * *

 **Principal's Office**

Irene sat at her desk in a navy colored pantsuit instead of the style she went with the previous four days. Irene's typical wardrobe didn't consist of pants back in Earth Land. Since coming here, she experimented with the various styles and with Anna's help (as well as several others) she found her own style.

Anna sat on the couch wearing a turquoise colored blouse, jeans and white tennis shoes. The time traveling woman had just finished meeting with a few parents who were eager to meet the newest elementary school teacher. Being in a teaching position was rather fulfilling for Anna since she had experience before with her Dragon Slayer godchildren. Speaking of…

"Natsu and the others took care of a few things last night. We should consider having them on patrol for whenever this Fallen Angel plans to strike." Anna informed.

Irene hummed and nodded before swiveling in her chair to look out at the students. Clubs were still being organized so there was bound to be those who either weren't interested or just hadn't picked a club yet. So it didn't surprise the scarlet haired woman that the courtyard was filled with students.

( _"Like our dear allies from the Shinto faction. Quite young to be Shinobi though. Or Kunoichi given it's an all-girl group."_ ) She mused.

"From the gossip and surveillance, they're having a date this upcoming Sunday." Irene noted.

"So we crash the date?"

Irene gained a thoughtful look before swiveling around to look at Anna.

"No, we don't." She replied.

"Why not?" Anna questioned with a frown.

Irene narrowed her eyes slightly and had a perfectly good reason for why. It had nothing to do with her personal opinion of the boy, oh heavens no. This had to do with what she recently discovered.

There was a small surge in magic power in the area that had nothing to do with the Slayers, the Devils or even the Shinobi. Traces of power had come directly from Issei Hyoudou and the Queen of Dragons was willing to bet this power inside Issei was Dragon related. The only other signature that was similar belonged to the newest Student Council member, Genshirou Saji. It would seem that Sona had snagged another Sacred Gear user, this time someone whose gear was Dragon based. If both Sona and Rias recognized this…

"Because I have the feeling either Devil heiress will just resurrect the boy should he die. Our main goal is capturing the Fallen and discovering her motives." Irene explained.

Anna immediately shot to her feet, alarmed and slightly enraged at Irene's callousness. Sensing the blonde's discomfort, Irene placated her with one hand.

"Rias needs a new peerage member and he would be a suitable candidate. I have reason to believe that Issei possesses a Dragon based Sacred Gear. Not only that the signature while weak, may be a sign of greater power." She further elaborated.

Anna blinked for a few moments before placing her hands on her hips and giving Irene her undivided attention.

"So you think Issei has a Sacred Gear? Despite the weak magical presence?"

Irene quirked an eyebrow and nodded.

"After some observation and analysis? Yes, I do."

"If that's the case then why use him as bait? Why let him die to begin with?"

Irene settled for somewhere between a neutral stare and deadpan. She would wait a little bit for Anna to connect the dots. And when the blonde did just that, the former Queen of Dragnof was not disappointed.

"His potential as a Devil would increase if he had a powerful Sacred Gear…" Anna surmised with a frown.

"In addition to that he would serve Rias well for her little problem. But Devil issues aside, our main goal is to gather intelligence. We need to consider all possible scenarios as to why a Fallen Angel would suddenly appear in the territory of two Devil heiresses."

"And why she would take such interest in Issei."

Irene pulled out a folder and held it up. Anna took this as a sign to get the folder so she moved to the front of Irene's desk.

"Get this to Enju Saion-ji. Those Kunoichi got their orders updated and it will be time to meet with them soon."

Anna took the folder in her hands and looked at it for a few moments before looking back up at Irene. She had other things to take care of before they both went home. Although they drove separate cars, she enjoyed having Irene around and getting to know the woman. Plus, the Slayers and Exceeds grew on her already so it wouldn't be home without the resident Dragon Queen.

"Consider it done. Anything else?" Anna asked.

"Nothing for now. I need to make some calls."

Anna smiled before nodding and taking her leave. As she was heading towards the door, Irene took a moment to admire Anna's figure. The scarlet haired woman loved how well Anna's ass just moved in those jeans. Irene didn't have the opportunity to experience many sexual encounters after the night that gave her the young girl who she would call her miracle. Serving Alvarez and Zeref by default took top priority. She was one of the top three mages on the continent so it would make sense she was virtually unapproachable. But here she was. A Dragon-Human hybrid who had the opportunity to rewrite history by destroying Zeref and Acnologia. But that mission would start here so why not have fun in a new world? After Anna left, not noticing Irene ogling her, one thought came to the scarlet haired woman's mind…

( _"I wonder what Tiamat is doing right now…"_ ) she thought pleasantly.

Her eyes took a bit of a lustful glint and there was a little pink coating her cheeks. Irene took the time to lean back in her chair and fan herself. She couldn't afford to get hot and bothered right now, especially in her office.

That was for later…

* * *

 **Old School Building**

 **ORC Room**

Rias was convening with her peerage after school. Her knight was tending to clients while she was meeting with Akeno and her rook. Her bishop on the other hand… a story for another time.

Right now she sat with legs crossed on the couch, sipping fresh tea. Sitting on the couch opposite of her was Akeno, also sipping tea while looking over a file.

Next to Rias was a petite girl with white hair and hazel eyes. The front of her hair has two long bangs that go past her shoulders and several loose ones hanging over her forehead. The back of her hair has been fashioned into a bob cut. In her hair are identical black cat-shaped hair clips. The young girl modified her uniform to forgo the cape most of the time. She is undoubtedly one of the shortest students in the school and her reputation has garnered her the role as the school's mascot. Her name is Koneko Toujou, a former Nekomata turned Devil and a first year student. And right now Koneko was enjoying one of her favorite pasttimes…

"I hope you like the lollipop Koneko. I made sure to get several kinds so you can pick whatever you liked." Rias beamed.

Eating anything and everything sweet. Candies, chocolates, cookies and ice cream galore. Of course Koneko ate healthy too, that would be just stupid to not eat vegetables, fruit and meat. But Koneko loved her sweets more than anything. All Nekos have their fix apparently and sweets were hers.

Rias turned her attention back to Akeno.

"So what can you tell me about Issei Hyoudou?" she asked.

Akeno hummed while smiling her usual smile. The dark haired girl was as curious as her King. They had only heard of the brown haired teen through rumors and of course Sona. Luckily, Sona was able to provide the girls with his student profile as well as his personal one once they picked up changes that were surrounding him.

"Nothing in particular. Top 25 in academics among the second year students, even with the competition from those Shinto agents."

"Obviously. Please continue."

"No siblings on record due to the fact his parents had a hard time conceiving."

Rias nodded slowly letting that bit sink in. She leaned more into the comfort of the sofa.

( _"I wonder if he ever wanted a brother or sister. Did his parents ever tell him about their issues?"_ )

"Hobbies include gaming and… oh."

Rias picked up on the change and quirked a brow.

"Oh my, looks like he's an otaku like you Rias.~" Akeno sing-songed.

Rias bit the inside of her cheek and blushed slightly, sending a light glare Akeno's way. The raven haired girl giggled in response, not at all feeling her King's slight irritation.

"There's nothing wrong with indulging in popular culture Akeno. You of all people should know that." Rias countered.

"Ah, so true." She admitted with a shrug.

"He's also a well-known, good for nothing pervert." Koneko commented in monotone.

Both girls spared an amused glance towards the half Neko girl. It was a no brainer that most, if not every female student in both the high school and collegiate divisions of the Academy hated perverts. Regardless of the background or occupation, perverts were hated with an unbridled passion. It was practically an unspoken tradition among anyone and everyone female at the academy. So at the moment Koneko had a very low opinion of Issei.

"Good for nothing might be stretching it a bit Koneko."

Koneko grunted in response to her King's comment, continuing to enjoy her lollipop. Rias simply smiled it off seeing how this was typical Koneko. Her rook had her good days and bad days. When Rias first received Koneko, the bad outnumbered the good severely due to the transition. Rias, since she was born had always been one to go against the Devil stereotype and be as caring as possible towards others. Given each member of her peerage had become a member of her family through tragic means, she would work hard piecing each of them back together. Needless to say, this was likely the best she could do with Koneko for now.

"What else can you tell us Akeno?" Rias asked.

"Nothing else really. Koneko pretty much added what was the last bit of info we have on him." Akeno replied with a shrug.

Rias sighed before leaving the couch and going over to her desk. She had some homework she wanted to look over. Plus there were some club paperwork she needed to get back to Sona to keep up appearances.

"So Rias…"

"Yes Akeno?"

"Are you going to bring Issei into our bed once he joins?"

Rias blushed a brilliant shade of color that nearly matched her hair. Akeno just giggled while Koneko stared blankly at her king.

The nature of Rias and Akeno's relationship was not too complicated. Although Rias didn't completely help with Akeno's personal issues, the two were best friends. It can even be argued that Akeno's bond with Rias was stronger than what Sona had with Rias. It came down to the fact that Rias gave Akeno a crash course in pop culture and societal culture, while Akeno gave Rias insight into the world of sex.

So Akeno in her infinite wisdom, did her fair share of experimentation with Rias which ended up strengthening their bond. Maybe it was due to this that Akeno was unconsciously embracing both sides of her powers and just never realized it yet.

But back to the matter at hand…

"He's… cute Akeno. I'll give him that much. But looks have nothing to do with it you know that."

"Even so I wouldn't mind.~" Akeno sing-songed.

They never discussed it often but they had often talked about true love and finding someone who would treat them respectably. Given Rias' 'issue', both were hoping to find a man or woman willing to help liberate Rias from the biggest mistake ever made by Rias' father and brother. Plus the prospect of sharing a boyfriend or girlfriend was exciting and terrifying all at the same time.

Rias sighed before shuffling papers. Akeno collected the dishware and did a little cleaning around the room.

"Koneko…"

"Yes President?"

"Your mission will be to observe Issei via your familiar. If you feel the need to be there for live observation, you're permitted to do so but at a distance."

Koneko finished her lollipop before tossing the stick in the trash. She went over to the vicinity of the desk and bowed before her president before leaving the club room. Akeno came over to Rias' side, standing behind the desk. The raven haired girl put a hand on Rias' chair while Rias just leaned back comfortably.

"Things are going to be quite lively around here. Won't they Rias?" Akeno mused with a growing smile.

"Yes. Yes they will be." Rias agreed with a slight chuckle.

A moment of silence passed as Akeno eyed her best friend with mischief. Rias was about to go through her homework until Akeno twisted her chair around. Rias looked up at her VP with a curious and questioning expression. With both hands now firmly on the back of Rias chair, Akeno slowly leaned in until their lips met. To both young girls, there was a sweet taste that was always there when they made out. Instead of forcing her tongue in like she sometimes did, Akeno stopped kissing Rias only to lean back and lick the crimson haired girl's smiling lips. The raven haired girl's hands moved from the back of the chair and slowly trailed down Rias torso. Rias felt all the sparks and sensations as her best friend's hands went from her neck, slowly going to her shoulders and they lingered for a while where her breasts were. Akeno gave Rias' breasts a playful squeeze eliciting a slight squeal from the crimson haired girl. Both were giggling in fits as Akeno slowly got lower, hands now trailing down to Rias' skirt.

"Akeno…"

Said girl hummed as she got onto her knees, slowly rubbing the inside of Rias' thighs while hiking the girl's skirt up.

"I'm honestly surprised Koneko didn't notice you not having any panties on." Rias commented in amusement.

"And I'm surprised you wore the cute ones I bought for you." Akeno smoothly countered.

The cute panties that Rias wore currently weren't the lacy set she seemed to fill her wardrobe to the brim with. Neither were they the panties that Rias sported during workouts either in her downtime or at school. No, these panties were from a brand that Koneko and Rias' bishop purchased from. Nothing too daring, it was just a pair of cute white, cotton panties with some intricate designs and seafoam green bows adorning the waistband. And currently those panties were showing a small patch of wetness where her womanhood was.

Akeno snaked her hands up Rias' skirt and after a few playful tugs, the redhead maneuvered her legs so the raven haired girl could get the panties off of her. Instead of taking them off completely, Akeno left the panties on Rias right ankle, which was pressing into Akeno's back while Rias' knee was resting comfortably on her shoulder. Seeing Akeno like this always got Rias fired up.

"Now… that is hot." Rias spoke huskily.

"I can think of something even hotter…" Akeno said just as huskily.

The sight of Rias' glistening core as well as the patch of red hair was always an exotic sight. Akeno knew her turn would come soon but she was always willing to go above and beyond for Rias. After all, Rias returned the favor tenfold every time they did things like this.

Rias adjusted herself in the chair, albeit while squirming in need.

"What do we say Akeno?"

The raven haired girl lifted up the front of Rias' skirt up before beaming…

"Thanks for the meal!"

The Gremory barely bit back a gasp and a shudder as Akeno latched onto her clit from the get-go. A nip there and few sucks drove up the intensity. It wasn't long before Akeno worked on Rias' opening, opting for a few licks.

Rias in a lust filled haze managed to open the buttons in the middle of her shirt before sneaking a hand in. Once her dainty fingers found their target, Rias began to mewl and moan in delight. She didn't dare look down, as the sight of Akeno eating her out would have drove her to orgasm rather quickly and she didn't want that just yet. So, she closed her eyes and just enjoyed herself.

"Oh Akeno…" Rias sighed out.

Akeno hummed in the other girl's heat, as her tongue was now probing around inside. The raven haired girl always managed to find the sweet spot in Rias' honeypot. Once she found that spot with her tongue, she nearly smiled a wide smile as she got the reaction she wanted. Rias started writhing and squirming in the chair and Akeno probed her pussy with vigor.

"A… Akeno… play with my butt too…"

Akeno gave a quick kiss to Rias' other lips before bringing her hand up and rubbing the puffy pussy lips with four fingers.

"Are you sure? I thought you didn't want to try that just yet."

A whine escaped Rias' lips and that made Akeno squirm. Given she had no panties on, the juices from her womanly heat were streaming down her inner thighs and also getting on the floor.

"Y-yes! Play with my butt! Please!"

"Okay. Let's change this up though."

Rias just numbly nodded before dragging Akeno by her shoulders and kissing her greedily. Both tongues were fighting for dominance while both sharing the sacred honey from Rias' womanhood. While making out furiously, both girls were undoing the buttons on their shirts, only making sure both bra clad chests were exposed.

"Bend over on the desk."

Moving the chair aside, Rias did as commanded, forearms braced on the desk. Akeno took a moment to admire Rias form before flipping the skirt up, exposing the glorious ass Kuoh's resident crimson haired princess. She cupped both cheeks before giving soft slaps, gauging the quality of something she loved seeing in these private moments. But then it hit her…

"Such a shame. This just won't do."

"W-wha…!"

Akeno dragged a stunned Rias off of the desk before forcing the girl on all fours. If someone were to walk in, they would have been treated to a glorious sight of the two biggest idols in Kuoh having hot girl on girl action, with Akeno doing all the work.

"A-Akeno!" Rias exclaimed with a big blush across her face.

"Mmhmmm~ much better."

The raven haired girl shoved three fingers in her mouth, getting them wet, while the free hand was rubbing her wet pussy. Rias could only look back, fixated on the unbelievably hot sight of her best friend. It wasn't long before Akeno brought up the hand that was rubbing her pussy and placed it on Rias' ass cheek. Knowing her king needed proper lube, Akeno stuck her tongue out and let all the saliva that accumulated in her mouth waterfall down her tongue to her best friend's slightly twitching rosebud. The sensation of something wet going on and in her backdoor nearly drained Rias of her upper body strength.

"Ooohh~ someone's very eager!"

Rias just whined in response, shaking her butt in response. They had talked about it before. Both had agreed that rimjobs were off the table for the time being. Akeno, as adventurous as she was, was shy about it and wanted to try it while Rias couldn't find it proper to want to go through with it. The idea was just too gross to her but she promised Akeno she would at least think about it before easing her into it. Hell, at least the discussion on fisting was easier than that.

So now, Rias did the breathing technique and relaxed her muscles so her best friend's work was much easier.

"Mmmmm~ good girl…" Akeno murmured.

Akeno took her index finger, slowly circling Rias' rosebud before bringing her middle finger into the mix. Rias was waiting in anticipation and her patience was rewarded as two fingers slowly made their way into her anus.

"Guhhhh~…"

"Oh fuck yeah Rias… that's a good girl…"

Akeno's free hand made its way towards Rias' pussy and found the redhead's clit. Rias started rocking her hips back and forth while Akeno's hands were stimulating her senses to the max. One hand had two fingers probing inside Rias' butthole while the other was massaging, pinching and twisting her clit. She couldn't help the drool that escaped the side of her mouth and the dumb look of pleasure on her face. Her eyes were lidded and it looked as though they were ready to roll to the back of her head.

"Fuck… you like that Rias?" Akeno questioned huskily.

Rias just responded by rocking her hips more, hoping Akeno's fingers got deeper. She was starting to reach that peak she was going towards earlier in her chair. At one point they alternated from Rias moving her hips and taking Akeno's fingers to Akeno keeping Rias in place pumping fingers in and out of her backdoor.

( _"Oh by Satan she's going to make me…!"_ )

"Yeah. Bounce that sweet ass girl! Work it for me!" Akeno cried out.

The huffing and moaning increased until Rias just couldn't take it anymore.

"Face down! Now!"

Obeying without hesitation, Rias had her head in her arms which were now on the floor. Her ass was now raised in the air as Akeno's fingers continued to probe her asshole and the other hand started giving sharper pinches to her clit.

Without warning, Rias was back on all fours with her eyes tightly shut. Her mouth was open in a silent scream as her knees rose off the ground. Akeno responded by snaking her arm around Rias' hip so her hand could still stimulate Rias' clit. Rias was having one of the best orgasms since she and Akeno started doing things like this.

"Oh fuck…!"

Akeno couldn't help but grin as she noticed that Rias' was now squirting from having her butthole fingered and her clit stimulated. After a few moments, Rias collapsed onto her side, now a quivering mess on the floor. Akeno giggled at the sight before cleaning up both hands. Was it dirty that she was licking fingers that were in the dirtiest part of her best friend's body? Yes. But did she enjoy it? Oh hell yeah!

Now there seemed to be a problem though…

"Oh poo… now my uniform's all wet. Plus look at the floor! You're such a naughty girl Rias." She said, feigning mock disappointment.

Rias just groaned. Her body had goosebumps and her supernatural stamina demanded she go another round or two. Akeno sighed before standing up and discarding of her clothes.

"But I can always punish you later…"

Her shirt and bra ended up on the floor.

"I've been training my butt for what you just experienced. So you'll owe me one of these days Rias. For now though…"

Her skirt pooled at the floor and the socks she had on were now a distant memory. One hand was on her hip while the other was stroking her wet pussy lips. She had waited long enough.

"Let's go clean up in the shower. We still have time before the others come back." Akeno finished with a lustful stare.

Rias smiled before shakily getting to her feet. Her best friend was absolutely insatiable…

* * *

 **Sunday**

 **Afternoon**

 **Streets of Kuoh**

Issei was a man on a mission…

…

Today was his date with Yuuma and he was doing his best to be punctual!

He was dressed in his best. He wore a sandy colored button up shirt that he left open. Underneath the button he wore a black long sleeve shirt that clung tightly to his skinny body. Last thing to add was the olive colored jeans and his blue sneakers which he thought went with everything.

( _"Crap! I'm going to be late at this rate."_ )

On Friday, Issei had fulfilled his obligation in serving morning and afternoon detention, much to the enjoyment of the female half of the student body. His task in the morning consisted of cleaning the classrooms that were for the third year students. The male teachers took pity on him while the female teachers showed him the same scorn he and his buddies experienced with Irene.

( _"At least that bitch can't ruin my fun now!"_ )

Friday afternoon's task had him cleaning the male locker rooms as well as some of the boys bathrooms in the main school building. Luckily he didn't get any stains on his clothes but he was left scarred with the image of some stalls showing signs of… well what human bowels were capable of. His fellow male peers would have showed some form of sympathy but they were more concerned about themselves. Oddly enough he didn't hold it against them.

Friday after school and all of yesterday (Saturday) consisted of helping his mom and dad around the house. They were happy that there was a principal who finally took charge and were willing to thank her with a meal and a medal. Not only that, Issei's computer and porn collection was confiscated and stored who knows where. His mother wasn't having any of it and expressed genuine disappointment, hoping Issei would learn from this experience. But even she had her doubts so she went on about her day. Emotionally Issei was drained so he just played video games (console variety) and slept off his problems.

Now though, he was able to finally enjoy himself. Though his parents were reluctant, he managed to convince them that he would come back home in time from his date. Even with news of Issei having a girl interested in him, his parents still harbored concerns about his academic life. He promised them he would do his best to change and make sure the year would end well.

( _"Which sucks because now we can't have any fun at school without getting snitched on…"_ )

Issei came out of his thoughts as he passed by the final street corner and was approaching the meeting point for his date. He had now reached the shopping district and would await close to where the bus stop was. Sprinting here had saved him several minutes so the pain in his abdomen was totally worth it.

He took a moment to check his flip phone and realized he arrived with time to spare.

"Hi there."

Issei's head snapped right to see a very gorgeous girl around his age if not older. She had gorgeous brown eyes, brown hair that was darker than his (dark chocolate like Hersheys) and her hair short in length. What struck Issei as odd was the girl's fashion in both clothing and hairstyle. Don't get it twisted, her hairstyle suited the whole gothic vibe thing she had going on, it was just bizarre to see it. If he had anything to compare to, he would say the girl's hairstyle was similar to the school mascot's just shorter. Her outer bangs curved inward while the hair where her temples were was styled to look like bat wings. She wore a magenta colored dress with a golden bow where her cleavage was. On her shoulders and lower back were black extensions that gave the impression of bat wings. Lastly she wore a maid style choker around her neck colored in black and magenta.

( _"I don't know who she is but holy hell…"_ ) He thought with a blush.

"Take a flyer. Where I work, we make all your wishes come true." She told him.

Issei did as he was told and looked over the card (confusion at its finest). It had sigils and weird symbols that may have been attributed to devil worshippers. He was about to give his thanks and return the card but when he looked up she was gone.

"Huh?"

He glanced around to look where she had gone only to come up nil. Damn she was fast. He pocketed the card and it wasn't before long when he heard his name. He turned around and his blushed returned full force at the sight of Yuuma Amano. Currently she was wearing a short black dress with a small, light lavender colored jack on top and dark colored shoes with no socks.

"How do I look?" she asked giving a light twirl.

Issei just nodded vehemently with a wide smile on his face which Yuuma giggled at. She walked passed him with her hands behind her back before glancing behind her.

"Shall we?" she queried with a wink.

Issei blinked several moments before fist pumping in joy and excitement. Luckily his actions didn't attract any attention.

Time to have fun like normal teenagers!

…

Or at least that would have been the idea…

* * *

 **A few hours later**

 **Evening**

 **Streets of Kuoh**

Usually fighting had its perks.

Being able to fight meant gaining experience and building toughness. It had happen to both of them for so long now, fighting was like second nature.

So why was it these last few fights were just so easy?

Well it starts with the fact that Natsu and Gray were just better than the rest.

Natsu was a Dragon Slayer. On top of that, Natsu was part Etherious and part God Slayer too. He wasn't just trained in magic but he was also trained in the art of kicking ass like a boss should.

Gray was a Devil Slayer. One of if not the only one known in the Kingdom of Fiore back on Earth Land. He too was trained in the arts of magic and badassery.

So why was the fight so easy?

"This fucking blows! Argh!"

When the opposition is humans and not monsters, stray devils, Fallen Drones and the like, things tend to be too easy.

The duo had begun their patrol a little earlier than expected. The sun was getting real low and it was initially agreed upon that the two along with their comrades would patrol at night and keep daytime missions and patrols to a minimum. Even if it was a Sunday, they weren't supposed to be out when it was light outside.

Which is how they ended up going up against a group of thugs. There were roughly a dozen of these wannabe gangsters, hoping to make money, get bitches and protect their turf.

Too bad they ran into Natsu and Gray.

"No kidding. I wonder why Irene would change the patrol schedule. Do you know?" Gray queried.

Currently Natsu and Gray had reconvened near the town park. Natsu was in his signature style just modified. He wore a dark colored overcoat with shining gold trim and the overcoat this time had no sleeves. Another addition was a hood to conceal his identity. His pants were white and baggy, only featuring pockets where he could conveniently shove his hands in. Forgoing the sandals, Natsu now sported open toed combat boots. This was done after reaching a consensus with END. On both arms Natsu wore dark colored wristbands, with the right arm sporting the wrappings that covered his Dragon King mark.

Gray wore a granite colored long coat with some light blue trim. Like Natsu's overcoat, Gray's coat came with a hood. The sleeves on the coat were rolled up exposing Gray's forearms. Another part of the outfit were the dark grey colored cargo pants, with the pants legs tucked into black combat boots. Underneath the coat, Gray wore a black t-shirt, assuring his scars weren't visible.

Both personal items that belonged to the boys were left at home until the time would come where they could wear them in the field.

"No damn clue. But I know one thing…"

Gray looked over his shoulder to see Natsu sitting on the ground. The salmon haired teen was in a pose Gray had seen far too often back home.

Natsu was upset and there was only one thing he could be upset about…

"We have to go to school tomorrow!" Natsu exclaimed overdramatically.

Gray just sighed and shook his head. Things were going to be different this time around. They didn't have that demon they called a big sister to teach them stuff now. Thanks to Athena, Anna, Irene, and the Amazons, the Slayers could approach the whole subject of school easier. But no, Natsu had to complain and to be quite honest Gray couldn't blame him.

( _"Because when dealing with Erza it's easy to be traumatized. That wasn't teaching she was doing… that was torture."_ ) He thought with a shudder.

"At least I don't have to do clubs like you guys do." Natsu commented.

"We're doing clubs to stay busy, not just because we have our orders." Gray corrected.

"Yeah, yeah…" Natsu waved off.

"Besides, Erza's not here. We'll be blending in before we show our true identities to the Devils in the school."

"And don't forget those Shinso guys too."

"Shinto you frickin' moron. And FYI, they only have one guy in their group."

"Oh? What's the guy's name?" Natsu questioned in slight interest.

"John Spicer. American exchange student and apparently became a member because he was a part of some special club back at his old school." Gray informed him.

Natsu crossed his arms and nodded. He already knew the general ins and outs of supernatural world. Though he was a bit foggy on the details about Kuoh and its people. Spending enough time in Tokyo and Kyoto, Natsu and the others gained not only information but allies and good friends too. Plus their training was put to good use and the enemies they faced didn't stand a chance.

"What else you know about these Ninjas then?" Natsu asked, hiding his excitement slightly.

"Mostly girls. All of them attend Kuoh for investigation and recon. Plus they're getting education from one of the top schools in the entire world so there's that too." Gray replied with a shrug.

Natsu nodded before his senses picked up something. The hood hid a brief expression of surprise before the young hybrid narrowed his eyes in a certain direction. Gray didn't miss this and mirrored Natsu's expression beneath his own hood, gazing in the same direction.

"Feel that?"

"Yeah. Something's definitely up."

Natsu shot to his feet before running off the rooftop, getting to the street below.

"Let's go!"

Gray nodded before leaping after his partner. The Devil Slayer had the sinking feeling this evening was going to change things big time.

* * *

 **Kuoh Park**

The date had been nothing short of fun for Issei and Yuuma.

Due it being after lunch, the two teens decided to window shop for a while. Eventually, Issei ended up getting Yuuma a bracelet as well as a new hair band that went well with her eyes. After that, they got cotton candy before going to the arcade where Yuuma cheered Issei on as he conquered several of the games before she had her turn… and beat his score at most of the games. Bless his heart though, Issei took it in stride and loss with some dignity.

Now though, they were walking their dinner off at Kuoh Park, trying to put a proper ending to a fun date.

"Ah~! Today was so much fun! Thanks for this Issei." Yuuma beamed.

The girl had effectively trapped Issei's right arm between her breasts. The poor boy was no match for the power of oppai aka boobs! He was a steaming, stuttering mess and Yuuma just giggled at the boy's plight.

( _"Deep breaths now Issei… Deep breaths…"_ ) He chanted in his head.

Yuuma stepped away, hands behind her back in a cute manner. Issei was curious about a few things though. He wondered how the date would end and if he would get the chance to see her more. Hell, he was hoping to at least get to second base on a future date.

"Hey Issei?"

"Yes Yuuma?"

Wind blows through the area, making Yuuma tuck some her hair behind her ear. The brown haired pervert swore the image that stuck in his head looked angelic.

"Thank you for today and for the past few days really. I've had a lot of fun. And to commemorate this occasion I need to ask something of you."

Issei brought his fist up in a righteous manner, blushing and smiling like a fool. This was it!

( _"Time to end the date with a goodnight kiss!"_ )

"Name it Yuuma! I'm willing to do anything for you!" He boldly stated.

Yuuma smiled an innocent smile before twirling around, a glow present all around her being.

*Heartbeat*

"Will you die for me?"

…

…

*Whoosh*

Issei lost his blush before scratching his head sheepishly. Odd thing though was that Yuuma's expression hadn't changed at all. What the hell was wrong with this chick?

"I'm s-sorry could you repeat that? I think I had something crazy stuck in my ear…" he said apologetically.

"I was hoping you'd die for me." She said, her tone changing completely.

Issei was then thrown completely off by Yuuma sprouting angel wings out her back. The feathers on her wings were blacker than Darth Vader while getting burned on Mustafar.

( _"Wait a sec?! Yuuma has wings?! Hold on a freakin minute here! She's flying!"_ )

While doing internal commentary, Issei then saw Yuuma conjure up a light spear that matched her eyes. Issei would have made a compliment but tragically he could not. Being flung at speeds no mere human could pick up, the spear found its target within Issei's abdomen, mortally wounding him.

( _"W…Wha… Yuuma?"_ )

"You really are such a child. But you proved me wrong these past few days. For a pervert, you've proven to be not such a bad guy." She said as she landed.

Issei slowly fell to his knees, trying to form words but he could only feel the growing cold and numbness. So this was what death felt like?

"And although I had fun, I had a mission to complete. So no hard feelings right?"

Issei toppled over to the side, one arm clutching his wound. He felt pain, numbness… and a growing sense of sadness. Was this really the end? Would he never see the miracles of life known as boobs? What would his buddies think about his demise? What would they feel?

But when he thought of his parents, his eyes burned with tears. He had strived his best to be a good son and yet he failed them. He wanted to tell his mother one last time that he loved her. To give her a hug… to receive her kisses that were made to embarrass him…

"If you want to blame someone, blame God for putting a Sacred Gear in you." She stated.

Yuuma walked off, not looking back at the scene that would have probably given her pause. Issei Hyoudou, leader of Kuoh Academy's perverted trio, was going to die with some regrets and tears.

As Yuuma was about to teleport away, she spotted two strangely dressed figures roughly a dozen meters or so in front of her. They were obviously male based on their figure but what they were had her stumped. She frowned in annoyance before adopting a smirk of superiority.

( _"I can't have witnesses now can't I?"_ )

"I take it you two saw that?" she asked, motioning to the scene behind her.

Slight shifts of the hood indicated they were indeed looking at the soon to be corpse of a Kuoh Academy student. They must have been angry because she noticed how delayed their reactions were. But it didn't matter to her. The way she saw it, they were two dumb witnesses with barely any power to stand up to her. So she formed light spears in both hands, not even bothering to summon her wings again.

"Naughty, naughty… I'm afraid you'll have to die now."

Before she got into a stance to attack both young men brought out weapons. This shocked her.

The first male brought out what looked to be a spearhead on a handle from his back, wielding it in his left hand. He shifted his legs and right hand erupted in a combination of fire and lightning. Yuuma got a feel for his magic again and this time broke out in a nervous sweat.

The other male literally summoned a sword out of thin air, wielding it in his right hand. Then ice, mist and condensation gathered in his left before a tomahawk took shape. Yuuma couldn't believe his power either!

( _"W-Wha…! What is this power?! Two Sacred Gear wielders?!"_ )

The information she received didn't say anything about other Sacred Gear wielders in the area. Just who were these guys? But she didn't have time to think about that. She bared her teeth and knitted her brows in anger. Summoning all the bravado she could muster, she faced her new adversaries.

"Sacred Gear or not, you're still just weak humans! You got involved in my business and for that you shall die!"

This time she summoned her wings and flew forward with a war cry. She figured with her speed she could impale them both before they could beat her. But her efforts were in vain as the fight she just instigated was over in a matter of seconds.

Both young men disappeared in a blur and went for a combined attack she couldn't defend.

Natsu attacked from the ground, hitting Yuuma with a vicious fist to the gut, sending the dark haired girl into the air. Awaiting Yuuma was Gray, who soared down before performing a series of slashes that would ensure pain but not death. The Devil Slayer landed in a crouch several meters away from Natsu's position. Yuuma was unconscious, battered and bleeding by the time she hit the ground. Her clothes, once pristine were now in tatters but still covered her modesty.

Both young mages had stowed away their weapons and dismissed their magic before wordlessly walking over to where Yuuma lay. They looked down at her unconscious form with frustration and disappointment all too clear underneath their hoods. Issei was a lost cause and they felt remorseful for not being able to save him in time. But they would get answers as to why a suspected Fallen Angel killed an innocent teenager from Kuoh Academy.

Natsu hoisted Yuuma over his shoulder as Gray summoned a portal that was taller than most doorways. The swirling mix of kaleidoscope colors may have looked ominous to an outside observer but it was anything but. It was an alternate and faster means of magical travel for the Slayers.

Both young men walked into the portal before said portal collapsed, leaving no trace of their presence behind.

Unknown to Natsu, Gray and even Yuuma, a flash of light near Issei's corpse would lead to a second chance for the brown haired teen he'd never thought he get.

* * *

 **Kuoh Academy**

 **Principal's Office**

The curtains were closed but not all the way. The bare minimum of auburn light from sunset permeated the office through the window that overlooked the school courtyard. Sitting in her chair was Irene, who had now put away her glasses and had her hair in its usual style. She had one eye closed and the other open. On the open eye was a gothic style cross colored in green. Unlike the **Universe One** , the spell she was currently using allowed for observation and reconnaissance on a power that could rival even the strongest magic familiars.

As Irene rapped her fingers on the desk, she couldn't help but adopt a grin.

"It truly has begun."

Now the pieces and plans were in motion. And the Scarlet Despair couldn't help but feel giddy.

* * *

 **Monday**

 **Morning**

 **Kuoh Academy**

 **2** **nd** **Year Classroom**

It was another typical school day for the students of Kuoh Academy. But for Issei Hyoudou it was anything but that.

Yesterday, Issei Hyoudou died at the hands of his would be girlfriend Yuuma Amano after she pierced his abdomen with a spear made of light. That and she sprouted wings with black feathers. What was she exactly? Some sort of angel from the heavens? It would have been incredibly hot to Issei had the situation not turn out the way it did.

In his dying moments, Issei wished as hard as he possibly could so he could live. He wished that he could live so he could fulfill his ambitions while also keeping his parents from experiencing the pain of his loss. And in Issei's dying moments, he saw a flash of crimson colored hair and he swore to himself that it was a girl wearing the Kuoh Academy uniform.

( _"It couldn't have been a dream… it was all so real. And it felt pretty real to me…"_ )

Now Issei was sitting at his desk reflecting not only on yesterday but on this morning.

It started with him waking up in his bed to his somewhat risqué alarm. His clothes from the date were gone, likely disposed of since he got stabbed and blood got everywhere. That would be the sensible thing to do. So, in addition to the missing outfit, his parents had no memory of Yuuma. Not once did they mention her at all. Her contact info was gone… all pictures of her were gone… any traces, so much as a sliver of hair was gone.

( _"Worst off not even Matsuda or Motohama believe me. And I even introduced her to them!"_ )

Before the first classes of the new school week began, given it was a new day and all, Issei made a call to his buddies. And when he mentioned his date, his possible girlfriend to them… they responded to him as though he were smoking some of that new generation shit. They called him a liar, belittled him, teased him, hell they even suggest he watch more porn and beat himself off to relieve the pressures of school and social life. He was exasperated at that point and just conceded. They discussed their plans for once their school sanctioned punishments were over… as well as their at home punishments too.

Issei's peers of course just dismissed his ramblings as the madness of the resident pervert. So he just sat at his desk, trying to think about all the changes and weird things going on.

Because believe it or not, Issei had another issue besides the whole Yuuma situation.

Physically he had changed.

He grew a three or four centimeters in height, he felt much more fit when he woke up (if the improved, lean muscles were any evidence)… and his senses had drastically improved. Albeit, his senses were a bit dulled in the daytime though, which added onto the oddities he was experiencing.

( _"It's like I feel so sluggish right now in broad daylight… why is that?"_ )

Issei just ran a hand through his hair while releasing a mournful sigh.

"Yo Issei."

The brown haired teen stiffened at the sound of that voice.

( _"Oh no… not her…"_ )

He slowly turned his head right to see someone who had been a longtime friend and who had been as perverted as him and his buddies. The big difference was she was a girl and if she wanted to be a pervert she did it with discretion. But she wasn't the type of pervert that did it for the sake of harm. Her perverseness was more along the lines of teasing if anything. Hell, her fellow female peers didn't mind as long as it wasn't absolute harassment to the point it would result in assault on a fellow student.

She of course wore the Kuoh Academy uniform. She wore magenta colored spectacles, had unique gold colored irises and light, messy brown hair tied into braids on each side. Her name was Aika Kiryuu, a fellow second year student and outside of The Perverted Trio, along with a friend who moved to England, Aika was one of Issei's longtime friends.

Aika was, by technicality, an honorary member of Issei's little group. Her specialty came with her specially enhanced vision that could measure a guy's size. For the longest time she spoken about how Matsuda and Motohama liked to show instead of grow, even until this day. Issei was a special case though. Whenever Aika got his measurements, she always a blush, a grin and a bit of blood coming out her nose. This was due to two reasons. The first being they had always been close and the second being he was above average for guys their age.

So yeah… Issei somehow found himself in awkward moments with a girl he couldn't help but be awkward with.

"Hey Aika." He unenthusiastically greeted.

"What's with the greeting ya perverted stud? I thought you would have missed me all weekend." She quipped with a grin.

Issei just propped his chin on his hand and groaned.

"No offense Aika, but this place would have to be a crater and hell would have frozen over for me to miss you. So don't flatter yourself."

"Rawr~! Looks like my favorite stud has a bit more bite today than usual." She teased.

Issei just darted his eyes to her giving her an unamused look. He watched as she sat on his desk and crossed her legs.

"So what's up Issei? Why the long face?"

Issei just closed his eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling. Behind the spectacles, Aika's golden eyes shined with curiosity and concern. To her, her longtime friend had seemed… different. She wasn't as naïve as most would assume. The thing was, Aika had been paying close attention to the strange things going on in Kuoh for a while now. She wasn't the most religious person in the world and she definitely wasn't a conspiracy theorist. Though one thing was clear… monsters were real. Hell, the supernatural was real. She didn't have any special powers or anything like that but she was aware enough at least to invest in making sure she had protection. Right now though, she had the sneaking suspicion that the supernatural had somehow gotten a hold of Issei.

"Maybe yesterday really happened or yesterday was a dream… all I know is I might be going crazy." He told her with a frown.

Aika quirked a brow questioningly.

"How so?"

Before Issei could elaborate further, there was commotion coming from the windows and outside in the courtyard. Both teens looked over to see their classmates gathering at the windows, squeezing in for a view of whatever was going down.

"Is that…"

"No way!"

"She's so beautiful!"

"They're so amazing!"

"Teach me Great Ladies of our academy! Teach me your ways!"

Issei and Aika found an opening and looked to see what their peers were gawking over.

"So… Rias Gremory huh?" Aika commented.

Issei just dumbly nodded as he watched the Two Great Ladies made their way onto school grounds. They had all the confidence in the world as they strutted their way in like the most exquisite peacocks in a zoo or out in the wild. Every guy wanted to be with them and most every girl wanted to BE them.

Issei and Aika then noticed how Sona Shitori and Tsubaki Shinra were also in the courtyard. But before Issei could voice his own opinion, he caught the piercing gaze of a smirking Rias Gremory.

It was at that moment Issei felt different from before. Like everything had just changed in that moment. The way she looked at him made him feel… it was hard to describe in the words alone.

Aika darted her eyes back and forth between Gremory and Issei. Something didn't seem quite right here. It looks like whatever was going on with Issei right now, Gremory must know about it somehow. She made the decision then and there to help her friend out.

However, Aika's decision would have benefits and consequences in the future, impacting not only herself but others as well.

* * *

 **Kuoh Academy Courtyard**

"Good morning Sona."

"Good morning Rias."

The four third year students gathered in a semi-circle, ready to converse while the rest of their peers gawked.

"What happened to Hyoudou?" Sona asked.

"The Fallen got to him while we were observing him. Koneko couldn't get to him in time and by the time I finished my work I was too late." Rias explained with a sigh at the end.

Sona stayed silent for a moment, assuming Rias had more to say.

"Luckily I got to him just in time to bring him back. And interestingly enough he took all of my pawn pieces."

Sona nodded, taking the information in stride. Saji took four of Sona's pawn pieces and she could already draw several conclusions as to why Issei got more. She then turned her attention to Rias' queen.

"Any news on the Fallen?"

"Nope. Apparently the Fallen was taken from the park before Rias arrived. By who though remains a mystery." Akeno answered.

Sona traded a look with Tsubaki, sending silent messages. Their findings had presented them with something that was deeply disturbing.

Back in March, a powerful group of individuals made a splash coming to Tokyo. Crime had taken a hit in the few days that group was in the area. Sona didn't think it would impact her, her peerage or even Rias and her peerage so she just let it go.

Then she heard about the group going to Kyoto and that got her attention.

The group, as far as she was concerned, had no previous ties to the supernatural before coming seemingly out of nowhere to Japan. At least, to her knowledge they had no ties she was able to trace. Once the group landed in Kyoto, she had manage to discern credible information and put together what was known about this group. Her discovery from the intel itself shocked her.

The group had managed to snag a powerful ally in the form of the Youkai faction in the area. How though? She wondered what could the group possibly have that could make the Youkai occupying Kyoto their allies after only a few days. Nothing seemed to add up.

Now though, she had to worry about Irene Belserion, Anna Heartfillia and six new students, mysteriously transporting from another country to the academy. And according to the documents she had, as well as what she was told by Irene…

( _"All six students are living with both our new principal and the new elementary school teacher. Coincidence? Don't think so."_ ) She thought internally.

For now, all Sona could do was put the pieces together and inform Rias when the time was right. Rias needed to deal with the issue of Fallen in their territory anyways. Hopefully, Rias would get information before outright killing the enemy.

( _"Speaking of… I need to get in touch with Lord Sirzechs and Lady Grayfia. They'll want to know about what's going on here in Kuoh. Details on my investigation will go to them and my sister later, if they don't already know."_ )

"Something you would like to share Sona?" Rias queried.

Sona adjusted her glasses before turning her attention to the front gate.

"Tsubaki and I are waiting for the new transfer students. We're here to make sure they have everything before they start today." She informed.

Rias and Akeno exchanged surprised glances before smiling at their friends.

"Really? Are they handsome?" Akeno asked.

Rias giggled, Tsubaki just shook her head in disbelief sporting a small smile while Sona gave an exasperated sigh, smiling herself.

"Honestly Akeno… just wait and see. I'd rather not spoil the surprise." Sona quipped.

"Sona~ you're no fun you meanie!" Akeno retorted with a pout.

Rias just giggled even more while Sona and Tsubaki chuckled at the raven haired girl's expense.

Nearby, the four members of the Shinto group were joined by two more members of their group. All of them conversing about random things varying from school to the supernatural.

The first girl had light skin and slanted, dark mauve eyes that gave most people the impression she was a mischievous (which she was). Her chest length black hair is worn in small, slightly curled pigtails over her shoulders held together by yellow scrunchies. Her bangs were straight cut over the left corner of her head while the rest was pulled back. Lastly her forelocks frame her face. Unlike her peers, she's fully customized the Kuoh Academy uniform provided to her, much to the ire of the Student Council. Instead of the button down shirt, corset and cape, she wore t-shirts with print on them and a green pullover hoodie. Also, instead of the loafers and socks, she wore yellow sneakers with no socks (a bit of a foot fetish this one has). The young lady's name was Yamabuki Suou, second year student and an agent of the Shinto faction alongside her fellow Kunoichi. Her hobbies included cosplay, Dojinshi and harassing her friends on a daily basis. Special thing to note, she was once in a relationship with singer and actress Ju Sakamoto. Even though their relationship ended, they still remained good friends. Now though, Yamabuki is in a great relationship with Tengge.

The second girl had fair skin and a well-developed figure yet she was shorter than her seniors. She had gentle, shark dark red eyes and medium-long dark pink hair worn in pigtails that were held by pale pink ribbons. Her bangs were spiked, with the middle slightly longer than the rest and her forelocks brushed over them to frame her face. Instead of the cape and corset, she wore a dark colored, buttoned cardigan. And while she wore the loafers, she wore her favorite rabbit socks. This young lady's name was Myu Momochi, first year student and the second youngest Kunoichi of the group representing the Shinto faction.

Sitting atop Myu's head was what appeared to be a pink rabbit. But this rabbit was special. See, this rabbit was a familiar, an animal involved in the supernatural that served certain beings for a multitude of purposes. His name was Fuu, Myu's friend, guardian and familiar.

"Miss Ricka?"

"Yes Myu?"

"When will we be meeting them?"

Ricka furrowed her brows before glancing at Enju and Tengge. Both girls were technically the leadership for the group given the fact they were partners for the longest time before becoming a trio with the addition of Akari.

Enju and Tengge shared unsure glances before shrugging their shoulders. That sent the message to the group saying they didn't know when. And if last time Ricka checked, they still had to meet with the leader of their only allies in this place, the new principal Irene Belserion.

"Unsure Myu." Ricka replied.

"Has anyone noticed how different Issei looks?" Akari thought aloud.

Yamabuki, standing beside Tengge, looked up to her girlfriend with a smile.

"You know, rumor has it that we have new students coming to school. And guess what?"

Enju sighed before pinching the bridge of her nose.

"What Yamabuki?"

"They're starting classes today and the five of them will be with the third years."

Tengge chuckled before smiling coyly at her girlfriend.

"Yamabuki you naughty girl. You spied on Irene again didn't you?" Tengge mused.

Enju grew a tick mark and narrowed her eyes at the pair. Akari rubbed her best friend's back trying to placate her while Ricka and Myu smiled on. Yamabuki chuckled before scratching her cheek with a single finger.

"That obvious huh?"

"As nice as the woman is, let's try our best to keep her on her good side hm?" the purple haired ninja quipped.

Yamabuki gave a two finger salute, earning a chorus of laughter from everyone except Enju.

"Hey everyone! Look!" Myu exclaimed.

The entire group looked over and their eyes collectively widened in surprise at who was standing at the gates.

* * *

 **A moment or two earlier**

 **Streets of Kuoh**

 **[Start: "Them Bones"]**

Riding through the suburban and urban part of Kuoh were five Ducati SuperSport motorcycles. The lead motorcycle had two people on it while the others were occupied by single passengers who were also the drivers.

Everyone had helmets on and each helmet had a tinted visor to obscure outside observers from seeing their eyes. As the motorcycles raced through, two individuals in particular watched them with curious eyes as the motorcycles headed in the direction of the academy. But these two individuals had bigger fish to fry, which was mainly finding their leader and proceeding with the plan.

As the motorcycles neared the Academy parking lot, several students who were still heading into the school building looked in awe at the sight of what they assumed to be new prospective students when in reality they were transfers.

 **[End Playback; A/N: Although a short section the playback is meant to be longer than it seems]**

Not long after parking, each member of the group dismounted their motorcycles and the students who observed them now got a good look at how each of the individuals looked.

The first was male, roughly likely a second or third year student from the look of it. He wore a dark colored hooded jacket, a white polo, dark colored jeans and white tennis shoes. What stood out was the guy's salmon colored hair, scaled scarf wrapped around his head like a martial arts bandana and the scar on his left cheek.

The second was the lone female of the group and the youngest. She wore a sailor's uniform that was modeled after the colors of the Academy uniform, a varsity jacket, dark colored socks and dark colored loafers. Her most distinctive feature was her blue hair, fashioned into a bob cut and had a few bangs covering her forehead.

The third was also male and like the other one clearly a second or third year student. His outfit was the same as the first guy but instead of a hooded jacket he wore a dark colored parka that had the sleeves removed. This young man wore a chain that was a somewhere between a cross and a sword. Not only that, he had a scar on his forehead above his left eyebrow.

The third was another male, probably a third year or just some rough thug who got lost. His outfit consisted of a dark colored trench coat, white polo shirt, dark colored cargo pants and matching hiking boots. This guy had piercings and wore a grey bandana around his forehead to keep the hair out of his eyes.

The fourth was a guy as well, either third year or a college student that screamed a pretty boy vibe. He wore a denim vest, white polo, dark colored jeans and white tennis shoes. His most distinctive feature was the diagonal scar on his right eyebrow and the single, ellipse shape earring on his left ear.

The last was another guy, falling into the third year or college student category. He wore a dark colored long coat, white polo, dark colored jeans and white tennis shoes with black stripes. His most distinctive features were the scar across the bridge of his nose and the beady red eyes, a trait he shares with the guy with the piercings.

All the students had something to say about these newcomers.

Starting with the male side…

"What the hell?! More pretty boys at our school?!"

"Who the hell are these guys?!"

"Check out the gay boy with the pink hair…"

"How old you think that girl is?"

"He looks like he should in prison not in school."

"God must hate us for sending them to our school…"

"I hope those guys aren't high school students…"

And then came the females…

"KYAAAHHHHHHH~!"

"Oh my god… look at them!"

"That guy with the piercings can have his way with me. Like right now would suit me just fine."

"The blonde one's smiling our way…"

"Go say something!"

"Why me though?"

"You think they're all single?"

"I want that tall one in me right now!"

"That guy with a chain looks so cool~!"

Wendy looked over at her fellow Slayers with pity as they all had various degrees of exasperation and nervousness from the comments they heard. But Natsu was downright pissed because someone apparently didn't get the memo…

"IT'S SALMON COLORED! MY HAIR IS SALMON COLORED! DON'T MAKE ME COME KICK YOUR ASSES YOU DICKS!"

"Oi! What you say-"

The guy about to deliver a retort was silenced by a mob of girls coming to Natsu's defense by crowding around them.

"Silence worm!"

"How dare you insult the new students!"

"Bullying is so uncool!"

"Let's report this to Principal Irene!"

"Yeah!"

While the male students were trying to placate a mob, Natsu and company made their way towards the gates. The guys each had a backpack of the same design. It had a single strap that cut diagonally across the abdomen, sporting Academy colors and the Academy logo. Wendy got a bag similar to the one she had in Earth Land that had the same color scheme as the guys bags and also had the Academy logo.

"Well that was something." Sting quipped from the rear.

"Yeah. Leave it to Natsu to lose his cool that easily." Gray joked.

Natsu grumbled under his breath as he glowered at the path in front of him. Wendy, walking by his side simply offered him a smile.

"Don't sweat it Natsu. We know what your hair color is, so don't let them get to you too much ok?"

"Thanks Wendy."

The group had now made it to the gates and looked over the courtyard. Natsu, Sting and Wendy smiled in excitement. Even though Natsu wasn't looking forward to school, he figured he might as well make the best of it. Gray and Gajeel wore cool smirks while Rogue just wore a stoic expression that was pretty close to a scowl.

And even though they left the attention of the parking lot, it now seemed they had the attention of most everyone in the school, even the elementary, junior high and college students stopped what they were doing to get a glimpse of the Slayers.

The Shinto group immediately recognized the Slayers and sported smiles. They were looking forward to working with a powerful group of mages and becoming fast friends in the process, even though that wasn't the initial goal.

And the Devils…

Rias and Akeno were wide eyed, trading glances and smiles. Both were cautious of course because of what they felt coming from the new students yet they were excited at the possibility of new classmates, especially transfer students from another land.

Sona and Tsubaki on the other hand were cold and calculating. They wanted to get a good read on this group of strangers. Not only were they the new students but they had permission to wear clothes that weren't the standard uniform. But, like the Shinto group, these students were allowed modify their uniforms how they saw fit… but this wasn't that. And from an initial glance, Sona felt as though each member, minus the lone girl of the group, were going to present her with headaches out the ying yang.

Sona then looked over to Rias, seeing the girl more optimistic and welcoming of these new unknowns.

( _"She's already got enough on her plate with Hyoudou taking up all eight of her pawn pieces. Not only that, she still has to worry about her engagement and the possibility of Fallen in our territory. Yet, she's going on without almost no care in the world."_ )

Sona checked herself for a hot second before shaking her head internally.

( _"No… it's just me being a realist and a cynic. She's got a new peerage member and new classmates. When it comes down to it, she'll be responsible where it counts and come to me when she needs help. Our trust and partnership wouldn't have survived this long if she didn't lean on me when she needed to."_ )

As Sona came to those last thoughts, she turned her gaze from her best friend to the now approaching Slayers. One more thought came to mind before she mentally prepared herself for the greeting of new students…

( _"Things have definitely gotten more interesting. Hopefully they'll be making things interesting in a good way. One can only hope…"_ )

The first day of the second week of school gave birth to the legend of the new transfer students. Rumors spread like wildfire after their subsequent introduction to their Academy peers. In time, they would be well known, not only for their wild personalities but their 0 to 100 nature if anyone ever tried picking fights with them. They were kind to their friends and deadly to their enemies. Top athletes and above average students, with the lone girl in the group and emo looking guy being the best of among them.

Kuoh Academy's halls would echo the tale of the transfer students whose group would go down in legend under the title 'The Wolfpack'.

This was how the Slayers would make their splash in their time at Kuoh Academy…

… But first things first, they had to make good first impressions.

* * *

 **Que Ending**

" **Kaze wa Mirai ni Fuku"**

* * *

 **A/N: Ta-da! Chapter completed!**

 **[1] – After Dark by Asian Kung-Fu Generation featured in Bleach**

 **[2] -** **Kaze wa Mirai ni Fuku by Akima & Neos featured in Trigun**

 **[3] – Them Bones by Alice In Chains**

 **For today's lesson we have the class system of DxD.**

 **Divinity/ God Tier: A rank reserved only for Gods or Divine Entities. The only way to have this rank is that you are already a god, you're a demi-god that died a mortal death before ascension or have somehow found a way to tap into a God's powers (Similar to the way Goku and Vegeta tapped into God Ki).**

 **Ultimate/ Cadre: The highest rank that can be attained by mortal beings from all spectrums. In this category are the Four Great Satans, prominent leaders, heirs and heiresses of the Devil Houses/ Pillars, the Four Great Seraphs, and the four representatives of the Grigori.**

 **High: Those who want to make a name for themselves aim for this criteria. Typically Devil offspring who have yet to master their power are deemed suitable High Class members. Also, stronger members of the Brave Saints, The Ten Seraphs, Fallen Angels with 4 to 5 pairs of wings and lesser known Cadre of the Grigori.**

 **Middle: Newly promoted members within any Supernatural faction or group go here. Lesser members of the Brave Saints, select members from Devil Clans including the servants and Fallen Angels with 2 to 3 pairs of wings are found here.**

 **Low: Weakest class for anyone involved in the Supernatural. Those found in this class are the recently incarnated Devils as well as weaker Fallen Angels and the commoners of Hell (or the Underworld in general).**

 ***Note: Additional members of other Supernatural factions and Races are spread throughout the current system. These definitions and classifications were done in regards to the Three Factions due to their overall prominence and influence.**

 **Additional Lesson!**

 **The lovely young ladies of Moe! Ninja Girls!**

 **For any information on those girls either play the game (available on Mobile), go to the wiki and/or the website.**

 **I dropped some hints of other things going on behind the scenes. Hopefully you picked that up.**

 **The Kuoh Academy uniforms have not changed much. The only thing to note is that students modify their uniforms for comfort and within the realm of the rules (or maybe with permission from the administration just to be different). In addition to that, the skirts are a bit longer for the female uniform.**

 **The color scheme for the Slayers group school uniforms are the same as the standard Academy uniform.**

 **How was that citrusy bit between Rias and Akeno? Scale of 1 to 10 for answers plus opinions. That was my first ever lime/lemon/smut scene so I hoped it was to your liking. Felt a little dirty afterwards but whatever lol**

 **Those two relationship is a bit of best friend mixed with some Polyamorous type stuff. Which will work well in Issei's favor (Spoiler/Not Spoiler).**

 **Series whose stars did not make the cut for this story: Prison School, Miss Kobiyashi's Dragon Maid, Panty & Stocking with the Garterbelt, Rosario Vampire, Citrus and Medaka Box.**

 **So again, the list above is for the series whose characters will not be making an appearance and I have my reasons for all of them. I'll explain them next time.**

 **Review section is open to anything and everything (if you flame don't make it personal).**

 **You guys have been amazing and thank you for the continued support of the story.**

 **Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Back for another chapter!**

 **I owe you guys an explanation for the last Author's Note.**

 ***Warning: This Author's note is lengthy. Not only does it address who wasn't featured in the story, it addresses the questions, opinions and concerns each of you have. If you do not feel like reading this section, skip it and jump right into the story.**

 **Below are each series whose characters did NOT make it into the story.**

 **Prison School: Two different student councils and five boys who don't hold a candle to Issei and his buddies in terms of perverseness. I was contemplating just adding the girls and just having Kiyoshi and company be mentions but that wasn't going to work. Plus… two student councils? The clash of power would have been a cakewalk. As incredibly hot Hana and her fellow council members are I couldn't add them.**

 **Miss Kobiyashi's Dragon Maid: The entire dragon cast would have been perfect if they lived with Tiamat and other dragons who still lived in DxD-verse. But alas, I didn't have the time to properly integrate them into the story and on top of that… they would be better off in a crossover.**

 **Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt: The Anarchy sisters couldn't be themselves and still serve heaven at the same time. Plus I'm very much convinced that the debauchery they would have committed would involve all the male Slayers at some point. So I'll let you speculate where I was hinting to but my point is this… I wanted to add them but it wouldn't work. They would just end up serving the Fallen Angels rather than Michael and the rest of Angel kind.**

 **Rosario Vampire: It's a secret school for Youkai… I mean are you kidding me? This would have been perfect but I was worried of taking away from the main story and the cast list was big enough as it was before so Tskune and company got the axe.**

 **Citrus: I had initially planned for most of the cast (including Yuzu and Mei), be a part of the Academy as background characters. But in my initial development and research, I couldn't pull it off.**

 **Medaka Box: I may or may not do a Medaka Box crossover down the line. In my initial buildup of the story, I couldn't for the life of me figure out where to place Medaka Kurokami and her sister in the grand scheme of things. She's strong in her own right and a bit underrated in my opinion because of her power and personality. Kind of like Oga Tatsumi from Beelzebub. Plus, Sona runs the Student Council until she graduates and it would be difficult to fit Medaka in a decent position of power without disrupting things too much.**

 **Now, with that done I move on to other things.**

 **First off, as always thanks for the reviews.**

 **Based off of what I read, I should probably answer concerns and questions that I saw.**

 **Will the Slayers become a member of either peerage?**

 **The answer will be revealed towards the end of the first story arc by Sona Sitri. But honestly you have nothing to worry about.**

 **The whole thing with Rias and Akeno last chapter?**

 **Happened completely by random. That citrusy scene was not planned and it just flowed into the story by… maybe it was accidental but it turned out alright. That was the first ever lemony bit I've done for the site and honestly I can improve from it. And yes those two experiment. One it's high school and two, you can't honestly say that they didn't at least explore their 'options' while being such good friends. Akeno's sexual energy would make her the more adventurous of the two so it just made sense to me.**

 **Issei's character development…**

 **He's still the pervert you've come to know and still will be a formidable force once he starts taking his Devil life somewhat seriously. I'm also including my own take on him so expect a mix of my take on Issei plus canon Issei.**

 **Also… Rias and Akeno will be a big help in Issei's love life and him getting a harem. It won't be as big as canon due to the presence of the Slayers but he still gets one anyways. That said, even though Issei has the power of a Heavenly Dragon he will often leave some decisions up to Rias. She's the Queen, the Alpha if you will of Issei's harem. Oh… and the girls take charge in the bedroom while building up Issei's confidence.**

 **Was Chapter 2 through 5 really necessary?**

 **Yes. The story needed a reasonable buildup to the canon timeline of DxD before progressing into the first story arc. Plus I'd rather not explain certain things via flashback so I took the scenic route. There's still the events of Kyoto to cover as well as how Irene got hired.**

 **Lastly… I have an announcement. Certain parts of the story will get glossed over as we dive into each arc. There will be filler chapters of course but… there are bonus chapters planned and I don't think they will be in the main story. Ladies and Gents, I now have an official tie-in story that will help fill in the gaps. For example, if there was a lemon you believed happened off-screen, it will be featured. Each chapter will cover events that happened in the timeline of the story past, present and future. So to summarize, bonus chapters that cover other parts of the story will be published separately. Think of it like deleted scenes from your favorite movie except some of the scenes contain the naughty bits that are NSFW.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **The Original Authors of Slayers of DxD were (and still are) Crossover Wizard Master and** **dude932. All credit for the original intent of the story goes to them.**

 **Hiro Mashima and any related parties own Fairy Tail and any related spin-offs, sequels or products of any kind with regards to the series**

 **Ichiei Ishibumi and Miyama-Zero along with any related parties own High School DxD and any related products of any kind with regards to the series.**

 **Any characters, places and ideas used in this story do not belong to me.**

 **Music, Songs and Soundtracks featured in this story do not belong to me and are used for the readers benefit (mostly my own just because lol).**

 **Use and/or mentions of historical figures, pop culture icons, religion and religious figures in general will be in this story for purely entertainment purposes.**

* * *

 **Que Opening**

" **After Dark"**

* * *

 **April**

 **Monday**

 **Kuoh Academy**

The Slayers were a bit stumped and puzzled.

Apparently, according to every girl in the school, the boys and Wendy were now called 'The Wolfpack'. Part of the nickname came from the fact Wolf heads were designed on their motorcycles outside. Another part of the nickname came from the fact that the boys traversed the hallways together. Wendy of course was part of the Middle School division, so she didn't get to see her Slayer brothers all that often. But the student body quickly surmised that she was the little sister to the group, being the only girl and all so there was that.

Anyways, rumors quickly spread about the boys. The female students hoping the boys were single after getting a glimpse of their faces and physiques. The male students were obviously trying to spread disparaging rumors hoping to impact the Slayers fresh reputation.

Needless to say, the first day the Slayers ever went to school in their lives was… interesting to say the least.

* * *

 **(Scene Change – Introductions for the Boys)**

Being introduced in homeroom went well… given they were the only boys in each of their respective homerooms. The Twin Dragons were put in the same homeroom as four of the Shinto Kunoichi which consisted of Tengge Yomoda, Lily Fuma, Hotaru Kokonohi, and Nanao Kashima.

And while the Twin Dragons would deal with some of the school's resident Ninja, the three Slayers from Fairy Tail would deal with the class that consisted of the Two Great Ladies, the Student Council President, the Student Council VP and Tennis Prodigy Kiyome Abe.

 **With the Twin Dragons**

"Introduce yourselves to the class boys. And no need to be shy." Their teacher told them.

Rogue and Sting found out rather quickly that all third year professors were female. Some fell into the category of MILF while others fell into the Post College Grad category that transitioned into 'Single and ready to mingle'. It was odd to say the least but the Twin Dragons took it in stride. Sting would cater to the role as Rogue's wingman while being friendly to the student body. Rogue would just be himself… brooding and a bit emo.

Both stood at the front of the classroom… a classroom where they were the only guys in attendance.

Sting, being the celebrity as well as a kick ass mage, could cater to a crowd so well that he could show up even the best A-Listers. He knew he had to keep two things in mind as he traversed school life. The first thing was Weisslogia's conversation back when everyone was training on Themyscira. Weisslogia talked about how it was a Dragon's duty to build a strong clan while living a life with purpose and happiness. And when it came to building a strong clan, a Dragon must always use his or her options when it comes to clan survival. It was during those days of training that Sting was informed about the art of Dragon harems. That's right. Apparently harems had an art to it. There was more details of course but the primary takeaway was that although Sting wasn't of Dragon royalty like Natsu, the White Dragon Slayer still had the option to pursue as many romances as possible. Which brings Sting to the second thing he needed to keep in mind…

( _"Yukino…"_ ) He thought longingly.

He already found a mate back home just like Natsu and Gajeel did with Lucy and Levy respectively. Yet, like the other two, he did not mark his mate just yet. He had enjoyed the wonders of sex, marked Yukino with his scent and had already made promises to her that he needed to keep. So… until he reunited with the sometimes shy, sometimes fierce celestial wizard, he couldn't do too much in the pursuit of new mates other than scout them out and discuss things properly.

So with a charming smile that showed off his abnormally sharp canines, he waved to the class before throwing an arm around Rogue's neck. The Shadow Dragon Slayer simply looked out into the classroom with his usual stoicism, almost like his brother and fellow Dragon Slayer wasn't even next to him.

"Yo! The name's Sting Eucliffe, nice to meet everyone here!" He greeted boisterously.

The blonde then pointed over to his partner who had crossed his arms.

"The stiff next to me is Lyos Cheney. He likes to read, brood, read some more and then be the party police on some days. Like seriously, it's hard to have fun with this guy around." Sting joked.

All except one of the girls in the classroom giggled at the remark. Rogue just sighed, knowing Sting was just being friendly. But even the Shadow Dragon Slayer could tell that Sting's friendliness would backfire. The young women here were far too hormonal to be normal teenagers and college students. Hell, Rogue could smell the lust coming off of them. How the others could handle it, he honestly had no clue. But when he thought about it, the others had mates and were scouting for more. They knew they had to keep their primal urges in check or risk a disaster once they got back home.

Even worse, Rogue was the lone Dragon Slayer or Slayer in general without a mate. Wendy was excluded because she wasn't old enough to mate but that didn't mean she couldn't decide who to spend the rest of her life with. The others had a clue as to who she was attracted to and decided not to talk with her about it until she brings it up in conversation. Then they would support her and help her any way they could.

But with Rogue though…

( _"I'm a Dragon Slayer bachelor in a different world. After that whole thing with the Amazons I need to be careful. They may have helped me but if I'm not careful someone will get hurt."_ )

Rogue then got a good feel of the room. Four presences in particular caught his senses. His eyes landed on two young ladies at the front of the room, off closer to the door.

The first was Tengge Yamoda, one of the two leaders of the Shinto Kunoichi at the school. She beamed a wide smile his way, which for some odd reason made him feel good. He couldn't exactly acknowledge her visibly so he moved onto the next person.

The second person had fair skin and sharp, small lime colored eyes. Her dark colored hair was pulled into a low ponytail that was being held together by red rope with her long bangs being evenly split, the thin strands framing her face. This young lady was Lily Fuma, Tengge's fellow Kunoichi and one of two captains that led the school's Martial Arts club.

She carried a great sense of stoicism like himself. It would have unnerved Rogue if he were here fresh out of the Dimensional Gap all those months ago. But he was the Shadow Dragon Slayer. If Lily wanted to engage in a war of wills then game on.

Rogue eyed the back of the classroom and spotted two more Kunoichi. They were much different than Tengge or Lily.

The first of the pair was a fair skin girl with slightly wavy brown hair, a lavender colored bow placed on the right side of hair. Now the thing is she had some of her hair braided into a crown and the bow was placed towards the lower right side of the crown. Her bangs curled inwards and went down to her cheeks. Last thing to note was she purple colored irises. This young lady was Hotaru Kokonohi, another Kunoichi and one of the more brighter girls in the bunch based on her personality. Hotaru had a knack for being a seamstress, given she's used to repairing her fellow Kunoichi's uniforms. So when Hotaru came to Kuoh she joined the sewing club.

Hotaru looked Rogue's way and sent a friendly wave… which he did not reciprocate.

The last person that Rogue's eyes landed on was sitting in front of Hotaru, was well developed with a light complexion and slanted golden eyes. In her short green hair was a white headband and she had long strands of hair that were styled so they were placed over each shoulder. Lastly, her bangs are split off-center and her forelocks cover her ears. This person was Nanao Kashima, Hotaru's best friend and the Kunoichi with the best aim when it comes to a bow and arrow. Hence, once Nanao started attending Kuoh Academy, she joined the Archery club.

Rogue knew all about the Kunoichi representing the Shinto faction because Irene allowed him to see only the basic profile for each member. He had a feeling she was trying to get him to socialize more.

"My name is Lyos Cheney. Please take good care of me." He greeted with a bow.

Even though his voice was near monotone, the classroom was an absolute mess of hush whispers and giggles. Rogue felt a tug and glanced over at a grinning Sting.

"You're a natural bro. Good work, the ladies will be all over you in no time." The blonde joked/complimented.

"I don't doubt that." Rogue dryly replied.

"Alright class, now settle down."

The teacher turned her attention to the duo.

"I'm sure some of you probably have questions for these handsome young men don't you girls?" the teacher questioned with a sly smile.

The giggles and murmurs of affirmation were her answer. Rogue continued to stare out impassively while Sting kept grinning like an idiot. Glancing over to his partner, the Shadow user sent a silent message that would allow Sting to take over homeroom Q&A. Sting shrugged before taking center stage. Rogue just sighed again, tuning out the noise and going into his own thoughts.

( _"This is what we have to put with for the next few months? It could be worse."_ )

 **With Natsu, Gray and Gajeel**

In this homeroom, Natsu along with Gray and Gajeel were doing introductions in front of a classroom full of nothing but girls. This crowd included Rias Gremory, Akeno Himejima, Sona Shitori, Tsubaki Shinra and Kiyome Abe. Those five young ladies combined were practically worshipped as royalty at the academy. However, with the Wolfpack now attending, the spotlight was off of them for the time being.

In the middle was Natsu, with Gray on his left and Gajeel on his right.

"Alright class, here are our new transfer students. Gentlemen, you may now take the floor." The teacher instructed with a smile.

Natsu stepped forward with a blinding grin that had half the class swooning. Gray and Gajeel glanced at each other with smirks as if thinking the same thing.

"Hi there! The name's Natsu Dragneel! Nice to meet ya!" Natsu greeted with a wave.

He then gestured to Gray.

"The guy with the droopy eyes here is Gray Fullbuster. We may sometimes fight but we got each other's back. Right Gray?"

"Up yours Natsu." Gray replied, smirk still present.

The salmon haired teen laughed it off before gesturing over to Gajeel.

"Guy with no brows over here is Gajeel Redfox. Get your tetanus shots before approaching this guy, he's definitely a biter." Natsu joked.

Gajeel sent a warning growl at him while baring teeth. Natsu simply laughed it off.

The ladies, minus Kiyome and the Devils of course, were reacting like typical school girls. They were in a rhythm that consisted of hushed murmurs and giggling fits that had the teacher settle them down.

"Given this is your first day gentlemen, your classmates will naturally be curious about you." The teacher informed them.

She then turned her attention to the class, which most of whom was smiling.

"Now are there any questions?"

* * *

 **(Scene Change – Introduction for Wendy)**

Wendy found herself the center of attention in the middle school classroom. Her male teacher had been nothing but kind, courteous and an all-around awesome guy. He was the type that got along with all the students. The youngest of the Slayers knew she would get along just fine with him and the rest of her teachers.

The moment she was brought forth, standing in front of her peers, Wendy felt a full rush of emotion that consisted of both excitement and nervousness. Steeling her resolve, she presented herself with a faint blush and a beaming smile.

"Good morning everyone! My name is Wendy Marvell, please take great care of me." She greeted with a courteous bow.

She heard the whispers of her classmates… and they were all positive. The Sky Maiden had worries that she may have to deal with bullies but they were put at ease for now.

"Alright class, I hope you guys are up for helping catch Wendy up on the material from the first week. But before that are there any questions for her?"

Wendy beamed her smile out to the class who all smiled back. She figured going to school with all these kids her age wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

 **(Scene Change – Lunch)**

Lunch period was a sight to behold.

While Wendy used her table manners… the boys all did their own thing.

Natsu, Gajeel and Sting had horded a good amount of food before devouring everything in sight. Plates and trays started to stack up and the staff who served the food were dumbfounded and a little irked. Luckily for them, the high school and college division students were the only ones with the access to the school buffet. This made life easier for the ones doing all the hard work in preparing the food and serving it.

Anyways, the students were transfixed by the school's newest students eating enough food to feed a small family in one setting. They were all wondering how in the world they looked so fit while still eating like piglets.

Gray had ditched the Dragon trio, opting to take a small lunch and eat on the roof. He also figured he could get a good nap in on days he wasn't hungry.

Anna joined Irene in the Principal's office for lunch. The blonde time traveler figured her friend and ally could use the company which Irene welcomed wholly. The former queen could use any excuse at this point to spend time with Anna.

 **With Rogue, In the school courtyard**

Rogue opted for the peaceful scenery of the school courtyard, sitting under one of the trees while eating his homemade lunch.

He sat with his legs crossed, methodically eating as to savor every bite. This food was absolutely delicious! This world possibly had better food and a little more variety in food than in Earth Land. He honestly couldn't wait to get to his after lunch sweets. He was eager to try these things called 'Blo-Pops'. The process of putting bubblegum into hard candy astounded Rogue to no end.

( _"And it's not just the food that's different. It's the music here too. There's so much variety to choose from. I won't tell him out loud but I really have to thank Gajeel for suggestions."_ )

Rogue was about to wrap up the main part of his lunch until he felt a presence sit down next to him. He slowly looked to his left to see a white haired girl wearing the Academy uniform. She was staring at him with a stoicism that could only be matched by the Kunoichi in his homeroom and the second year Kunoichi he read about in the files.

He wiped his mouth off before turning his head to look at her. They held each other's stare for a moment before she slowly peered down. Rogue raised an eyebrow in curiosity before following her gaze.

( _"Ah. So that's what she's after."_ )

A small smile graced his lips before he picked up two Blo-Pops. He held his hand out as if to offer her one. She glanced between the modified lollipops in the hand and the look on Rogue's face. This lasted a moment before she took a Blo-Pop and stuck it in her mouth.

Rogue chuckled before sticking the lollipop she didn't pick in his mouth.

"You picked wisely with the cherry flavor." He commented.

"Hn." She replied.

They sat in a comfortable silence, using the rest of lunch to enjoy their lollipops. It wasn't long before the end of lunch neared and their time together was over. Rogue had thrown away his trash before putting his bag back on his back. He looked over to see the girl walking back to the main building.

He smiled before letting out a chuckle.

"I never did quite get your name."

She stopped before turning around, meeting his eyes.

"Koneko Toujou, First year."

His smile never left as he walked up to her, frame overshadowing hers completely.

"Lyos Cheney, Third year."

He offered a hand which she stared at before looking up at him.

"Nice to have your acquaintance, Miss Toujou." He told her.

She stared straight into his eyes before a small smile came to her lips. She reached up and shook Rogue's hand with a firm grip. He already had an idea who she was, he just wanted to confirm it for himself.

"Yeah." She responded.

She turned around and her stoic façade was back in place. Rogue stood there watching her leave, smile still present.

( _"If only the demons of Tartaros were this kind…"_ )

He shook his head at the thought before heading back into the building. His own stoic façade came into place as he mentally prepared himself for his female peers. As the day went on, Rogue was slowly coming to the realization that Sting was a lousy wingman.

* * *

 **(Scene Change – Gym Class/ PE; Soccer Filed and Track)**

Because it was the second week of school, the students of Kuoh Academy were expected to take standardized fitness tests to give the professionals in the Athletic and Health departments an idea of where they stood.

The teacher in charge of the entire PE department for High School division was a woman in her mid to late twenties by the name of Iku Fukuda. Iku's sister Sachi, doubled as her assistant as well as being the coach of the Volleyball team. Another fun fact, Iku Fukuda was also the school's track coach and a former track athlete herself, despite her… well it's best to describe it like this.

Iku was nothing short of gorgeous. Her clothes consisted of a white t-shirt with a magenta stripe across the chest with outer pink stripes and magenta trim. She wore black leggings with thin magenta stripes on the sides and magenta colored running shoes. But all the clothes did was hide a figure that could rival most of the high school and college girls, which would include the four most prominent female students coming from the high school division. She had large breasts and a nice big butt gained from good eating and hours in the gym doing squats. Not only that she had nice thick thighs to compliment her shapely hips. Her dark brown hair was short, styled similar to Koneko's with the key differences being the parted bangs on her forehead and her hair reaching the bottom of her neck in the back. Her eyes were light brown and did well to compliment her vibrant lips.

Her sister Sachi was almost a spitting image of her with the key differences being the outfit she wore (magenta tracksuit and white t-shirt with magenta colored running shoes), her hair (long enough to reach the middle of her back and lighter in color) and most of all her personality.

While Iku and Sachi would be handling Fitness testing for the Third Year students, other teachers and coaches would handle the First and Second Year students.

Iku blew her whistle and a crowd composed of the Third Year students gathered in front of her and her sister.

"Alright everyone! Pay close attention!"

To the left of Iku's vision were the Devils, to the right was the Kunoichi and in the middle were the Slayers. The rest of the Third Year students filed in right behind the three groups. Most of the students were wearing the standard fitness uniforms provided by the school which consisted of t-shirts, bottoms (bloomers for girls and shorts for guys) and white tennis shoes. But the Slayers, like with their school uniforms stood out.

All five of the boys wore black shorts, socks and shoes. Gray opted for a blue muscle shirt, while the Dragon Slayers wore t-shirts. Sting wore a navy tee, Rogue opted for dark grey, Gajeel picked forest green and Natsu wore maroon. To hide his Dragon King mark, Natsu made it so only his forearm was covered in bandages. And when the other male students asked about it he just told them it was a tattoo that he said had to be covered at all times. They bought it and went on about their business.

"Today we will be conducting the Fitness Test. This test is done at the beginning of the year to properly gauge all aspects of your physical health. My sister and I will be supervising while the athletic trainers will aid us in recording results. Do keep in mind, this is the initial test. An end of the year test will be conducted and that's the one you should be working to blow out the water. However, that does not mean you shouldn't try your best here. Give it all you got and improve as the year goes on. Are there any questions?" Iku said to them.

The Slayers each shared a smirk. There was a silent message being sent between them about the matter of the test that couldn't be spoken aloud. Natsu turned to Iku before punching his palm as he always does when he's fired up.

"When do we get started?" He asked with a fanged grin.

 **Test 1 – Long Jump**

"First we have the long jump." Iku announced.

After a brief demonstration and explanation, each student was allowed two shots at the long jump.

When it came to Rias' turn, everyone was paying attention. Natsu and the boys hung back to watch closely, seeing if one of the school idol's was going to go all out.

Rias wore a confident smirk as she exploded through and leaped forward. As she was jumping however, several of the male students and Akeno watched closely as gravity performed wonders to Rias' breasts. Even though the Slayers would only see Rias as a friend, ally and classmate, they all stood stock still as they watched her glorious gifts levitate before bouncing once the girl landed.

Iku looked to her sister who had recorded the red haired girl's jump. Iku then looked back to Rias with a smile.

"Alright Miss Gremory, you did good. Go ahead and get back in line for your second jump." She instructed.

"Yes, Miss Fukuda."

Iku then got a chance to look at the clipboard in her sister's hands.

"Alright, Mister Dragneel. Please come forward."

Natsu strode forward confidently, grin present. He glanced over to his teacher waiting for the signal.

"Okay then. Go whenever you're ready."

Natsu nodded.

He squatted down, swung his arms back… and leapt forward and high enough before landing what he perceived to be a decent distance. When Natsu glanced back, he saw his buddies smirking at him while everyone else was dumbfounded. It wasn't long before Akeno and Tengge found themselves laughing. Iku blinked a few times before turning to her sister.

Her sister showed her the measurements and Iku was wide-eyed. Her head snapped back to Natsu who was grinning sheepishly while rubbing beneath his nose with his finger, being smug and all that.

( _"That young man could very well try out for the Olympics if he wanted to! Just where has he been all this time? There's no way he's a transfer!"_ ) Iku thought.

She laughed before smiling. She could figure out other details as to how a possible world class athlete has stayed under the radar later.

"Alright Mister Dragneel, you've had your fun. Great jump. Please return to the line and wait until your next jump." She instructed.

"Got it teach!" He responded with a thumbs up.

Natsu strolled back to the group and rejoined his friends. The male Third years were obviously jealous while the majority of the female Third years were swooning.

"You guys gonna crush this or what?"

They all glanced at each other, smirks still present. Gajeel gave the best response for the rest of the group.

"Oh… Hell yeah."

What proceeded was an amateur tryout for the Olympics as far as most witnesses were concerned. Gray, Gajeel, Sting and Rogue all followed Natsu's example, reaching distances in the Long Jump that would very much qualify them for the Olympics if they aimed that high. Iku figured that although not related, each of the boys had good genes and a terrific work ethic. She was going to talk to Irene and see if she couldn't convince the guardian of all five boys to join her Track team. Sachi on the other hand saw potential in the boys for other sports the school offered. It was when that thought occurred they still had more tests to conduct.

 **Test 2 – Flexibility**

"This is a test of your flexibility. I hope all of you've stretched this morning." Iku joked.

Iku was surprised and very pleased to see that Natsu and his group managed to surpass the rest male Third years in terms of flexibility. It's almost as if their bodies were made to perform great feats many would deem impossible. She should have been suspicious but that would show little faith and trust in her students.

The Devils and Shinto members of course got the best measurements in terms of flexibility… even if their bountiful breasts were in the way. And when those glorious mounds were strained tight against white tee shirts, even if they had on sports bras it was a rather glorious sight to behold.

When Sona had done her flexibility test, she caught the eyes of Gray Fullbuster looking at her with a neutral face. She never thought of herself as a seductress in the moment but she sent a cool smirk his way. When he saw that smirk he simply glanced away nonchalantly. Sona Sitri always appreciated people for their intelligence as well as their looks. She had seen glimpses of Gray being above the average student with his friends. He may not have been as smart as her but there was something about him that made her wary, cautious… yet she still felt drawn to him.

She would make note of this for later. She wanted to focus on the test before returning to where she truly shined… the classroom (Plus Student Council duties).

 **Test 3 – Push Ups**

"It's one of the best exercises to do in your downtime. The Push up. This exercise is terrific for your arms and chest. For my female students, if you feel the need to do them on your knees it won't count against you."

The normal students of course topped out at reasonable scores within the two minute limit.

The Devils and Shinto Kunoichi had passed their peers by, only by enough to not warrant suspicion.

Natsu and the boys didn't care though. In the two minute limit, the boys had exceeded 100 Push Ups and still didn't look winded at all. If the sound of swooning females was anything to go by, they accomplished their job.

Hell, even the Devils and Shinto members were appreciative of the show they were given. All the girls carefully took in the sight of flexing muscle that looked to be carved from stone. Little did they realize, this wasn't the end of the show.

 **Test 4 – Sit Ups**

"You'll likely need a partner for this. If you want a good core, you do this exercise. The Sit up works your abdominal muscles, better known as your core. There's a reason how some athletes go far while others fall flat. Having a good core builds confidence, physical strength as well as mental strength."

Again, the normal students topped out with reasonable scores. A few noteworthy students earned marks that could put them on par with the school's resident ninjas and devils.

Both the Ninjas and Devils surpassed their peers but still did only enough that wouldn't garner too much attention. But the Slayers knew they were holding back.

And as usual the Slayers exceeded beyond everyone else.

Natsu had partnered up with Gray, finding the time to bicker with each other and still keep count of how many Sit Ups they did.

Sting and Rogue teamed up, Sting grinning like a goofball while Rogue remained stoic, only giving the occasional grunt when exerting himself. Even as Sting tried to crack jokes, Rogue remained impassive.

Since Gajeel was the odd man out, Iku picked out a partner for him. Tsubaki Shinra was the 'lucky' one it seemed. Many of the girls groaned and whined, saying how lucky of a girl Tsubaki was for getting to spot Gajeel during the exercise. Sona exchanged a glance with her queen before nodding. As Tsubaki went to spot Gajeel, Rias and Akeno joined her.

"Suspicious of our new classmates Sona?" Rias whispered amusedly.

"Only looking out for potential headaches Rias, nothing more." Sona shot back with a small smile.

"I would like to think you would be looking for more than just that Sona." Akeno cheekily added.

Sona shot Rias a look at which the redhead just smiled and shrugged off. This was often the dynamic they enjoyed. Sona would be analytical, Rias would be easy going and Akeno would add in the cheekiness. All that was missing was Sona's shadow Tsbuaki and things would be like clockwork.

When the test started, the three devils watched as the boys once again made things look easy. They also took in the tasty sight of the boys abdominal muscles once their shirts started to ride up. Tsubaki also became a victim.

As Gajeel was doing a high amount of Sit Ups like his comrades, his shirt had ridden up, giving Tsubaki quite the view of his hard abs. Although Miss Shinra kept her composure, the sight gave her pause and made her blush.

The thing was Tsubaki usually liked guys who were younger than her, like her long time crush Yuuto Kiba. But she missed her chance when the young man was snatched up by Tennis Club President and fellow Third Year Kiyome Abe. Greatly disappointed and disheartened by missing her chance with Kiba, Tsubaki focused on school and Devil work. Now though?

"See something you like Shinra?" Gajeel asked with a grin.

Tsubaki's eyes widened before narrowing a moment later. The blush on her face betrayed the cold look she was giving the Phantom Dragon Slayer.

"Get on with it Redfox. Flashing me your muscles isn't enough to impress me." Tsubaki retorted with a huff.

Gajeel sniggered as he continued to get more reps in.

"You got it doll."

Tsubaki was already starting to dislike Gajeel Redfox. Anymore exchanges like that and her opinion of him would only worsen. If his cockiness and attitude were anything to go by, they were not going to get along at all. But as time would progress, her efforts to push the Dragon Slayer away would only backfire.

 **Test 5 – Pull Ups**

"Most countries have this standard for their Military Physical Fitness tests. The Pull Up is great for the upper body. There are several different ways to do the Pull Up but we will be doing close grip instead of wide grip. Although I don't doubt some of our more 'outstanding' students can do wide grip Pull Ups, we have to consider your peers during testing."

Males and Females had gender set expectations in terms of how many Pull Ups they were expected to do.

The pattern continued with the normies (normal students) coming close or meeting expectations. Next came the Devils and Kunoichi, exceeding past their peers or meeting the same mark as their peers. And the Slayers exceeded everyone.

The five boys were in their own little world, trying to one up each other while leaving their fellow students behind. The men only wailed in misery, damning the Slayers for their super human strength and endurance. The women of course just swooned some more and gave compliments when they could. Hell, one girl came up to Natsu to compliment him and she promptly passed out when he responded. The girl's friends collected her, apologized and left behind a somewhat confused Natsu. The salmon haired teen just noted the interaction as girls just being weird. Another thought hit him when he made that mental note.

( _"Given how weird these girls are, Lucy would fit in just fine."_ ) He thought with a smile.

 **Test 6 – Shuttle**

"The Shuttle tests lateral movement, agility, coordination and speed. This exercise is multi-faceted and something that many athletes in the world use in their training regimen. But this test serves only as a warm up for the final test. Be sure to keep that warning in mind."

The shuttle went off without a hitch and followed the same pattern as the other tests. The Slayers as always were the stars of the spectacle, showing off their athletic prowess, harnessed by rigorous training and years of experience in various activities.

 **Test 7 – 100 Meter Dash**

"Last test for today. There was the option to squeeze in the 2 mile run but since there were so many of you we couldn't conduct it. Instead we want to see how fast you can and run. This is also a chance to compete against your peers so go all out or go home."

The first group up was the Slayers and three random males. It didn't take a genius to know how this would go. Those three random students had zero chance against the five young powerhouses. Before the race started though, Natsu brought the boys in for a last minute huddle.

"Wanna place wagers this time?" Natsu prompted.

Although school rules dictated there would be no gambling… that rule only applied if money was being exchanged on school grounds. With that loophole exploited, none of the guys would have to worry about risking the ire of the Student Council.

"Sure, I'm game. 5000 Yen." Gajeel answered.

"6000 Yen. Better bring you're A-game pyro." Gray added.

"5500 Yen. Let's make this quick." Rogue chimed in.

"6500 Yen. Hope you boys are ready to eat my dust." Sting taunted with a smirk.

"And I'm putting 5000 Yen in. Let's do this." Natsu said with a grin.

All five lined up at the starting and immediately got into track stances. Even without the blocks used by sprinters, their takeoff would be good enough for them to garner the maximum amount of speed. As said before, the other three students would simply be an afterthought.

"On your mark."

Their muscles coiled like a spring, determined faces showing complete focus on the goal.

"Get set."

Silence hung in the air for a moment. Then the starter's pistol fired off.

"Go!"

All five young men were flying down the track at high speed. Natsu and Gray managed to stay neck and neck while their fellow Slayers trailed only inches behind them. By the 60 meter mark, Gray managed to pull ahead by only an inch or two. His lead only lasted a split second it seemed before Natsu surged forward. And Natsu would have won for sure… had Sting not gotten ahead at the very last second.

"Ha! Suck it! I win! Hahahaha! Whoo!" Sting exclaimed with a wide grin.

"Lucky bastard…" Natsu grumbled under his breath.

Rogue said nothing, Gajeel agreed with Natsu and Gray simply sighed in irritation. Since Sting's magic was both light and white based, it would make sense he'd be at peak performance during the day. They knew this yet they didn't think he would use it to his advantage for a petty race. But money was on the line so he didn't care.

Iku just sighed and pinched her nose.

"I think I need to have a serious talk with those boys. I've heard of spirit of competition but goodness." She said, speaking more to herself than to anyone else.

Iku walked over to her sister.

"Sachi what's the verdict?"

Sachi looked over the clipboard after writing a few more things down. After this she sighed and showed her sister the results. Both of them glanced at each other and shrugged.

 **After the test**

The Third year students gathered around both Fukuda sisters. They were both sporting smiles as they looked into the crowd.

"Good work today everyone. If you're curious about the results they will be posted both online and in school. Any questions you have, feel free to come by the athletics offices or the teacher's offices."

There were murmurs and nods of affirmation in response to her words.

"And if any of you want to join the Track & Field team or the school Volleyball team, just say so! We're always looking for fresh talent!" She added with a friendly wink.

Laughs and cheers were heard throughout the crowd. After dismissing the students, Iku turned her attention to the five boys that piqued her interest. She placed her hands on her hips and eyed the group sternly.

"You boys were quite the handful today." She said with a shake of her head.

All five Slayers were doing their best to avoid eye contact with their teacher.

"I'm going to let you off with a little warning. Try not to embarrass your classmates during athletic events. I love that competitive fire you guys have but don't let it get too out of hand 'kay?" she warned with a smile.

"Yes ma'am." They responded in unison.

"Alright. Now get out of here." She shooed away with a hand.

As they were leaving the field to head back inside, Rogue was stopped when Iku placed a hand on his shoulder. He glanced over with his usual expression, looking into the warm eyes of the track coach.

"Something you need from me Miss Fukuda?" He asked politely.

She offered a warm smile before squeezing his shoulder.

"You did well today Lyos. I have a feeling you don't seem like the athletic type but…"

Rogue raised an eyebrow. What on earth was she trying to ask him? They had just met and he was still getting acquainted with the other teachers. But none of them approached him due to the nature of how transitioning classes are. So why would she do so?

"My offer of joining is still on the table. If not, we could arrange private workout sessions to improve any areas you want to work on." She stated.

Rogue turned around to face her fully and crossed his arms.

"That sounds… acceptable. I'm going to likely join a club where I can work on my sword skills but I am still open to your offer of the private workouts." He replied.

Although disappointed Rogue wasn't joining Track & Field, Iku was excited at helping Rogue out during private workouts. Iku had degrees in the health and sports department which means she could put all her expertise to good use. During the Fitness Test, she had seen Rogue's form during certain events and although he wasn't too far behind the beasts he calls his friends, he had struggles in certain areas. Plus, she sometimes worked at the regional wellness center in town and working with people from all age groups sometimes made her day.

"Great! I'll make sure to get my business card to you. Call me anytime you would like to schedule a work and we'll go from there." She beamed.

Rogue nodded before bowing and turning heel towards the building. He wouldn't say it out loud but things surely were getting interesting for him.

( _"I wonder if it has anything with what happened back on Themyscira?"_ ) He wondered.

That could be it but only time would tell. He shook his head before finding his way inside and getting changed for the last bit of classes. There were still after school activities to consider.

* * *

 **Principal's Office**

 **Afternoon/Evening**

The first day of school had been a bit of a whirlwind for the Slayers. Each were known for doing their own thing but collectively their popularity and reputation shot through the roof. Sure it was the first day but if first impressions were anything to go by…

Natsu was a prankster. He goofed off when he could and when called to do something in class he would get lucky. Although he wasn't a smarty pants like Erza, Mira, Levy or even Lucy, Natsu had brains where it counted. So when Natsu could sneak a nap in, he would do so with little care in the world.

Gray stuck to daydreaming during class. He was smart but he wasn't at the level of Straight A students and also didn't flaunt his intelligence in a sense. If he wasn't daydreaming, he was making sketches or taking notes.

Gajeel was a hardass. The only ones who approached him were the other Slayers or almost every girl in the high school division. But for the most part, like at Fairy Tail, he made himself unapproachable by using intimidation. Of the Third Year students, next to Sting and Rogue, he was the tallest. And when someone of Gajeel's height walks around looking shadier than most thugs and enough piercings to set off metal detectors, of course they would be unapproachable.

Rogue had the whole loner/emo vibe going so there was that. He kept to himself and behaved similar to a dark prince of sorts. When he read a book he would always do so with one hand and use the other to turn the page. And only time he ever smiled that day was during the Fitness tests.

Sting had the pretty boy, rock star vibe going full swing. He would appease the female students with half fake stories about him and Rogue doing some cool shit teenagers do. Not only that, he flirted with them for the sake of throwing them a bone. It was harmless of course. Sting needed to look for potential mates while at the same time knowing what boundaries he couldn't cross once he found those candidates.

Wendy was loved by everyone in the middle school division. Her teachers spoke highly of her and her classmates were in pure awe of her aura. Poor Wendy of course couldn't help but blush at the praise. When Anna retrieved her once classes were done for the day, the blonde woman couldn't help but embarrass her godchild some more.

Now though?

The Slayers had reconvened in Irene's office, waiting to hear from Anna and Irene about the details of their patrols that night.

Irene was in a black pants suit with a purple blouse and dark purple heels. She leaned back in her chair with Anna standing by her side. Anna wore jeans, creamy-golden colored blouse and white sandals. Although she enjoyed wearing dresses and skirts, jeans were a better comfort for Anna when dealing with kids. Plus, elementary school teachers had a bit more freedom in their clothing choice while working.

"So… how was your day?" Irene inquired with a smirk.

"Um… my teachers and classmates like me a lot. All the things we're learning is easy to grasp if it means anything." Wendy informed with a blush.

Natsu ruffled the girl's hair, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Class was pretty chill. Food was good and gym class was awesome. Although I'm pretty sure Sting cheated in that last event." Natsu grumbled the last part.

"Tch. You kidding me? You guys should know I won that race fair and square. And if you didn't get the message before I told you guys to-"

"Sting. A report today would be nice." Irene interrupted.

"Right. Anyways, it's like what Natsu said. Classes were easy and a bit boring. Our classmates kept things interesting to say the least." Sting told her as he folded his hands behind his head.

Irene nodded, satisfied with what he had told her. She turned her attention to Gray, Gajeel and Rogue.

"And you three?"

Gray shrugged his shoulders before adjusting the strap on his bag.

"Was able to pick out the Devils in the school easily. Other than that, things went smoothly for me." He said.

"Found a few good books with Lyos. A lot of girls kept asking about my piercings and scars, which got annoying real quick. But other than that, I got nothin'." Gajeel added.

Irene nodded then all eyes turned to Rogue. He glanced to the right before returning his ruby eyes towards the scarlet haired woman.

"Issei Hyoudou is a Devil and from initial observation alone I believe he's been made one fairly recently. Koneko Toujou smells a lot like a cat despite having the magical aura of a Devil. On top of that, I think Sona Shitori is going to get curious about who we are real soon. As for the school part, nothing noteworthy to report on my end." He summarized.

Everyone did a double take and blinked at that. A moment of silence hung in the air of the office before Irene chuckled. She pulled out two files and placed them on her desk.

"Given Mister Cheney's summary, I think it's time to bring you up to speed and give you your assignments."

She then eyed each member individually, ready to put her plan into motion.

"Rogue, you and Sting will be tasked with watching over Issei Hyoudou. Everything you need to know about the boy is in the file. I have the sneaking suspicion that a Fallen Angel will attack him in the next 24 hours. As it stands he's in a new world, very confused and honestly lost. Interfere when you need to and then get out when Miss Gremory shows up. We can't risk a confrontation with her or her peerage just yet." She instructed.

"Understood." Rogue replied with a nod.

Rogue then took the file and walked out of the office, Sting following him.

"Gray, you and Gajeel will be tasked with a different mission. There's a Stray Devil in Kuoh that the Sitri peerage will be dealing with. I want you to take out the stray devil but also wait to test Sona and her peerage."

Gray raised an eyebrow and looked over to Gajeel who shrugged in response.

"Test?" Gray queried.

"That's right. I want to see their effectiveness in combat. Plus I want to confirm what I learned about her newest pawn. How you fight them is completely up to you but do keep in mind there will be no fatalities. Understood?"

"Got it." Gray responded with a nod.

Gray grabbed the file and walked out of the office with Gajeel in tow. Now Natsu and Wendy were left.

"Anything for us?" Natsu asked.

"You will be helping me with our prisoner. Wendy will be on standby for Medical emergencies."

Natsu whined a little and slumped over. Wendy giggled before patting her brother on the back.

"Oh it won't be so bad Natsu. You'll get a different mission next time." The bluenette comforted.

"She's right you know. I have missions planned for you that involve stray devil hunts as well as taking care of our little Fallen Angel issue." Irene said.

Natsu sighed before straightening up.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on Wendy let's head home."

Natsu turned heel and walked out of the office, sending a goodbye wave over his shoulder. Wendy bowed and said a quick goodbye before rushing after Natsu. Now it was just Irene and Anna in the office. Irene sighed before leaning on her hand.

"Despite all that power and knowledge, he still can't help but act like a child at times. How on earth did you and Igneel ever put up with him?" Irene questioned.

Anna laughed a little before placing a hand on her hip. She looked at Irene with a small smile.

"We fed him for starters." Anna joked.

Irene scrunched her eyes and smiled, giving Anna an incredulous look. The Dragon queen highly doubted that feeding Natsu was the only thing they did to keep him in check.

"We also had Igneel pin Natsu with his tail. Honestly when he was little that boy had so much energy, even Igneel got tired after a while." The blonde added.

Irene laughed at that before turning her chair slightly.

"I highly doubt I'll need to go that far Anna." Irene commented.

"Hmm… honestly you never know."

Anna took the end of the conversation as a cue to leave. So she walked away from the desk, ready to exit the office. Just as she neared the door…

"By the way Anna…"

Said blonde stopped before looking over her shoulder.

"We should set some time aside for a girl's night. I heard it's a custom among Earth women who have time and money on their hands. What do you say?" Irene offered with a smile.

Anna's eyes widened for a moment. It took her a moment to consider what exactly Irene was asking her. They were employed at one of the top schools in the world as part of their cover and on top of that had to deal with issues pertaining to the supernatural. But then again…

( _"Well… I can knock out enough work that I have some downtime to myself. Plus, Irene and I haven't really had a chance to talk one on one. Our time on Themyscira wasn't all that fruitful as I hoped. Truth is, I was hoping to catch up with her."_ )

She offered Irene a warm smile and a nod.

"I would like that. When our schedule opens up, pick a day and I'll be more than happy to enjoy a night with you." She replied.

"Excellent. I'll be seeing you soon. Trust me Anna, you won't be disappointed."

Anna hummed in agreement before leaving the office. Irene leaned back, closed her eyes and sighed. She was now excited to at least be assured one on one time with the former Celestial mage. But she was also a bit miffed at how boring the next few days were going to be.

The team were about to be in the line of fire between the Devils and the Fallen Angel forces in the city. Sure, she wasn't doing the fighting but she found the challenge… far too easy to defeat. Still, connecting the dots as to why they were in town as well as the issues the church was dealing with provided some form of entertainment.

Irene summoned a sapphire pendant from her Requip space. She took her glasses off and held the pendant up for her to view. A saucy smirk came across her face as well as a dust of pink on her cheeks.

"Maybe I should go visit Tiamat for a bit…" she thought aloud.

* * *

 **Several hours later**

 **Kuoh Park**

 **Nighttime**

Issei was once again having an off day.

It started with waking up and feeling different from before. Being out in the sun had weakened him somehow, something he never experienced before. That was the first thing he noticed. The next thing? Yuuma Amano. Any and all traces of his possible girlfriend were gone. The number he had was disconnected and not a single picture of her remained on his phone. Who deleted them? Or better yet how did someone get a hold of his phone in the first place?

Which brought him to the next piece of evidence he had.

Issei died the day before. There was no ifs, ands or buts about it. Issei Hyoudou died in Kuoh Park because of stab wound made by a light spear.

And Yuuma Amano was the prime suspect who committed the deed.

( _"It couldn't have been a dream… right? I mean it felt so real."_ )

Then today happened.

Aika of course was worried about him, asking him often why he had spaced out so much. Eventually he promised he would text her once he got home and so he did so. He vented, keeping the weird stuff secret while complaining about school and his social life.

He vented to her about how much he hated the new guys that entered the high school. She laughed of course, telling Issei he was being petty. What she didn't tell him was the fact she had gotten the measurements of each of the new students. The next thing she knew, she was in the Nurse's office, lying down with tissue in her nose. Coming to a reasonable deduction, Aika surmised that the male members of the Wolfpack were well endowed. Another thing she was quick to make note of was that they were all bigger than Issei. So at the moment she couldn't let her good friend be even pettier.

The conversation carried on about other things like the new principal, Issei's improved athleticism and class. Aika wanted to finish up her homework and tend to some things so she quickly bade Issei goodnight. With Aika no longer texting him, Issei was eager to test something. He made an excuse to his parents about wanting to take a walk to the park and got a reluctant go ahead to do so.

Minutes later coming to the present time, Issei was at Kuoh Park making observations.

( _"I knew I felt different! I feel so much stronger and faster now since it's nighttime!"_ )

He smiled at the feeling of power coursing through his veins. Although his physical performance diminished during the day, he had shown great athletic improvement during the Fitness test, well enough to be in the Top 15 of the Second Year students.

But as he was enjoying this feeling, he remembered a few things from earlier while making his way over to the park. Like how his hearing was picking up things from his neighbors…

" _Honey! Bob got into the cereal again!"_

" _You know how cats are! He was just a little hungry!"_

" _Oh! That new show is on!"_

" _American Politics… chaotic as usual."_

" _I did well in the stock market today…"_

" _I wonder what I should make for dinner tomorrow…"_

" _Uh oh! Someone's got a lot of doody in his diaper! Yes he does!~"_

" _There's a penny underneath this couch."_

And unfortunately his parents moments after he left…

" _Oh yes! Keep fucking me!"_

" _Fuck you're tight honey! You like my big dick don't ya?!"_

" _Yes! Twist it like that! Grind it in my pussy you beast!"_

" _Talking so loud… and so dirty… you deserve to be punished. Bend that sweet ass over you slut. I'm gonna make sure you cum for me real good."_

Issei then hauled ass as fast as he could to the park, hoping the strenuous activity would bleach his mind of all the mental images that resulted from hearing his parents doing the horizontal monster mash.

Issei looked around for a moment before heading to the spot near the fountain. He kneeled down and felt his hand touch the stone beneath him.

( _"No doubt about it. This is where I died…"_ )

"How unsightly."

Issei's eyes widened before he shot to his feet. He frantically looked around him before looking up and seeing the sky change color.

"W-W-What the hell?!" the brown haired teen exclaimed.

After those words left his mouth, Issei heard footsteps. He turned around and saw a figure coming towards. With his improved vision he was able to get a better view of whoever this person was.

It was a middle aged man with short black hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a pale grey trench coat over a white dress shirt, white ascot, black slacks, black wingtip shoes, black leather gloves and a black fedora. Needless to say… this guy needed some fashion tips.

"To think I would find a creature like you in a place like this." The man (?) remarked.

Issei blinked a few times before scratching his cheek. Not really caring for the boy's nervousness, the strangely dressed man prattled on.

"Though I am curious, based on your aura. Do you have a master by any chance? Or are you a stray?"

"Master? Stray? What are you talking about?" Issei asked in confusion.

The man chuckled before tipping his hat forward.

"I see."

Black, feathered wings sprung from the man's back and a blue light spear formed in his free hand. Issei, astonished at the scene, took a step back. It appeared as though he was dealing with Yuuma all over again.

( _"B-Black wings?! He's just like Yuuma!"_ )

"I would advise you not to run. It would make my task much easier if you didn't." the man warned.

Not heeding the man's warning, Issei turned heel and tried hauling ass out of the park… only for a light spear to lodge itself in his back.

( _"Not again…"_ ) He whined internally.

The brown haired teen fell forward to the ground with little grace. The man chuckled evilly before walking to Issei's fallen form and ripping the spear out of him, eliciting a pained filled scream from his victim.

"My, my didn't you know? Light spears are deadly to your kind. But have no fear, I'll be ending your pain real soon." The winged man stated.

Using his foot, he turned Issei over before raising the light spear in his hand aiming to finish the young man off. But once the winged man got a good look at the young man's face… he paused.

( _"Wait a second… this boy… is he?"_ )

"I thought for sure she killed you. But if you're alive…" the man trailed off as he narrowed his eyes.

Issei let out a choked gasp, blood spilling out of both sides of his mouth, some of the blood staining the upper part of his uniform. He had one eye squeezed shut as the other peered up at his possible killer.

( _"He… knows Yuuma? B…But how?"_ )

Before anyone could utter another word, the winged man was viciously kicked off of Issei. The person who kicked him had his back to Issei, but Issei used his last moments of consciousness to memorize the details of his savior as best he could.

It was obviously a male, he wore a dark navy jacket with gold trim. Underneath the jacket he wore a sleeveless grey hoodie, the hood being up to conceal his identity. For bottoms he wore light grey pants with dark navy fang like designs on the sides. Lastly, his pants were tucked into a pair of black combat boots. Since Issei only lasted a few seconds more before passing out, the brown haired teen didn't see his savior's weapons or even know about them.

( _"Whoever you are… thanks…"_ ) Issei thought before promptly passing out.

Sting stood in front of the unconscious form of Issei, glaring at the Fallen Angel he sent into a light post. It was a good thing Sting came prepared for this mission. Inside his jacket was a custom made Glock 19 and five magazines of ammo. Although bandoliers were meant to be wrapped around the chest or midriff, Sting's was custom made to go around his waist when he got his belt and holsters for his revolvers. The two revolvers in question were called **Redemption** and **Outlaw**.

So, armed with three guns and enough rounds for a small firefight, Sting strode forward, fists clenched tight at his side. He stopped several meters away from his target.

"Alright asshole, you might as well give me a name. I already know you're a Fallen Angel and last time I checked, this guy behind me didn't do anything to you. So talk." Sting stated, gesturing to Issei on the last part.

Staggering to his feet with a groan, the Fallen Angel glared before a smirk came to his face.

"Very well then."

The Fallen Angel reformed a light spear in one hand, then took his fedora in the other hand before bowing.

"My name is Dohnaseek. I am a member of the Grigori and what I am doing here is my business alone." The now named Dohnaseek stated.

Sting raised an eyebrow at the statement. What the hell were the Grigori doing in the Kuoh? And before he had a chance to even ask the very question, the White Dragon Slayer felt a surge of magic behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw a sigil. Then a flash of light later, he saw four figures emerge.

"That sigil… could it be?" Dohnaseek muttered.

Sting of course heard him and he had a very good feeling who just showed up. He got a good look at each of them.

( _"Rias… Akeno… that Koneko girl Rogue talked to and… who's that guy?"_ )

That guy was Yuuto Kiba, known to every female student as the "Prince of Kuoh Academy". He was handsome for his age, blonde hair and blue eyes, the typical prince/knight type. He was wearing the Kuoh Academy uniform minus the jacket. At his side was a sword, created by Kiba's Sacred Gear **Sword Birth**.

The Fallen Angel and Dragon Slayer looked on as the members of the Gremory peerage tended to their newest member. Koneko and Kiba stood guard, eyes not moving from the two who would pose a potential threat.

"How is he Rias?" Akeno queried.

Rias slowly lifted Issei's upper body and held him close. She brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead and smiled down on his sleeping form.

( _"I apologize for not being able to help you sooner my dear servant. But don't worry, we'll be rectifying that mistake. After all, you're one of us now."_ )

"His wounds will require treatment but other than that he will be fine." Rias assured with a nod.

Rias gently laid Issei back onto the ground, then stood up while straightening her skirt.

"Now then…"

She walked to the front of the group and flipped her hair before placing her hands on her hips, a confident and proud smile on her face.

"My name is Rias Gremory of the Gremory House. It's a pleasure to meet you both." She greeted.

Sting had a somewhat bored look on his face and turned around to face Dohnaseek. Rias grew a tick mark before stomping her foot angrily.

"Hey! I'm introducing myself and you can't even extend the same courtesy? That's rude!"

Sting sniggered underneath his hood, something of which everyone caught.

"Oh my. Perhaps he doesn't enjoy your flare as much we do huh Rias?" Akeno remarked humorously.

"Idiot." Koneko commented.

"She does have a point though…" Kiba said agreeing with his President.

Dohnaseek chuckled putting everyone but Sting on guard. He placed his fedora back on his head but did not dismiss his light spear.

"I see. So you are from the House of Gremory? I did not anticipate this."

What none of them knew was that the statement was an elaborate lie.

"This town is under my jurisdiction Mister Fallen Angel. And this boy you harmed is a member of my household. Going against myself and my peerage would be extremely unwise." Rias sternly warned.

Dohnaseek nodded and his grin widened.

"Duly noted."

He then launched the light spear without warning… straight at Sting. The Gremory Peerage was about to act but their efforts weren't needed. Only a few seconds after being launched, the spear was caught by Sting who didn't even flinch. Dohnaseek was wide eyed and surprised at the reflexes of his opponent.

( _"If his reflexes are that sharp, it would be best to retreat for now. Besides, I need to update my master on these new developments."_ )

Just as he was about to take off, Dohnaseek and the Devils watched as Sting looked at the light spear in his hand with curiosity. They watched as the Dragon Slayer shrugged… before promptly chowing down on a light spear.

"EHHHHHHHH?!" the audience exclaimed in unison.

The process of eating a light spear took Sting only a few seconds. After a nice belch, Sting wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

( _"Ugh… taste terrible. But to quote Natsu, 'Now I have a fire in my belly'."_ ) He thought, smirking at the last part.

Not even paying attention to the murmurs and comments of Rias and her group, Sting's eyes landed on the wide eyed form of Dohnaseek. The man's guard was down.

Light igniting in his fist, Sting rushed forward at high speed before delivering a devastating right cross to Dohnaseek's face. The Fallen Angel was sent flying out of the park and the barrier that was put up immediately dissipated.

( _"Too damn easy."_ )

Powering down and sighing, Sting was about to take his leave before he heard someone call him out.

"Hold it!"

Sting hummed and looked over his shoulder to see the Gremory group ready to attack. Rias stood in front of the group with a stern frown.

"Although I appreciate your help in protecting my servant, I don't like having intruders in my territory." She told him.

She smirked and held up one of her hands, now ignited with the legendary **Power of Destruction**.

"So I'm going to have to ask you to come with me or things will get rather… uncivil."

They had a standoff for a few moments. No one said a word and Sting just looked over his shoulder at her with the same bored look from before. He honestly didn't have time for this. But knowing Rogue was on his way to bail him out at some point, he would play along for now.

He turned his head forward before raising his hands in surrender. Rias nodded approvingly before dispelling her power. If need be she could have the others apprehend the young man.

"Turn around. Slowly." She instructed.

Sting followed her instructions while keeping his head down. Even with magic, he couldn't afford to let any of the Devils eyes catch sight of what was under the hood.

Once the Devils got a good look at him, they tensed up. Not only was he fit and used magic but he was armed as well. That combination could prove to be dangerous.

"My, my, such a naughty boy to be playing with guns. He deserves only the harshest of punishments." Akeno teased while licking her lips.

Rias shot Akeno a look telling her to cool her jets. The Gremory heir honestly didn't know if Akeno wanted to jump this guy's bones or just torture him. It was already bad enough her Queen wanted the newest member of the peerage to experience sexual wonders with the both of them.

"President."

Rias turned questioningly to her Knight.

"Yes Kiba?"

Without warning a portal opened behind Sting. The Gremory peerage then went on high alert, thinking somehow the man before them had reinforcements. But instead of anyone coming out, Sting was going in. He smirked before jumping back and the portal immediately closed after he entered.

Everyone relaxed and Rias sighed in frustration

"That went well." Akeno commented with a smile.

Rias walked over to Issei's unconscious form and inspected him again. After checking on him, she lifted him up and dished out orders to her peerage members.

"Akeno, you're coming with me. Kiba, Koneko head home and get some rest. We'll reconvene tomorrow after school." She instructed.

"Yes President." They replied in unison.

Kiba and Koneko left without much preamble, going to their respective homes with their own thoughts to gather. Rias and Akeno teleported Issei back to his house, hoping to help heal the young man by morning. Unknown to them, the Shinto members observed everything from start to finish on a nearby rooftop. They were quite eager to have words with Irene about what they just witnessed. Using their speed and agility they left the scene without a trace.

* * *

 **Around the same time**

 **Abandoned Factory**

The Sitri Peerage received a message that a Stray Devil had been causing trouble in the area. Sona used this mission as a perfect opportunity to test out Saji's capabilities. She and Tsubaki had Saji study magic while also practicing with his Sacred Gear **Absorption Line**. But he wouldn't be fighting alone, oh by Satan no. The Student Council President assured Saji would be properly assisted in the coming fight. So to ease any concerns, Sona assigned her Pawn Ruruko Nimura, her Knight Tomoe Meguri and her Bishop Reya Kusaka. The team assembled would be the perfect balance of defense and offense, something which Sona found suitable for the mission. With four peerage members handling Stray Devil work, Sona, Tsubaki, Sona's Bishop Momo Hanakai and Sona's Rook Tsubasa Yura would hang back and be the support team.

"Alright then. Remember the plan and stay focused. Although I don't anticipate many challenges our opponent is not to be underestimated." Sona cautioned.

"Don't worry President! We'll handle the pesky Stray, no problem!" Saji said with confidence.

"Hmph. I would hope not Saji." Sona replied drily.

The other girls either sighed or giggled at the newest pawn's enthusiasm. It became quite evident that Saji was of similar mind to Issei Hyoudou when it came to women. The only difference was that Sona and Tsubaki instilled enough discipline in Saji to remind him that any perverted antics wouldn't be tolerated. Plus when Saji heard about what recently happened to the Perverted Trio, Sona and Tsubaki were amused to see the newest pawn looking slightly ill from the news.

The group arrived at the warehouse and immediately went to work.

"How many stories would you estimate the warehouse to be?" Sona queried.

"A rough estimate? I would say 3 stories give or take." Saji answered with a so-so gesture.

"Really? My money's on two and half stories. Given the regulations and restrictions they had on these warehouses and factories back in the day, specific buildings couldn't go past the set parameters." Ruruko added.

"Wow, I didn't know that."

Ruruko just smiled and shrugged. She and Tomoe walked over to the door before shifting their feet.

"Ready to kick ass Tomoe?" Ruruko asked.

"You bet!" Tomoe responded.

Tomoe, armed with a katana, slashed the chains off while Ruruko forced the doors open with the magic in her hands. Sona appraised their entry skills and found them to be acceptable.

( _"Their subtlety could use a little work but we'll improve as time progresses."_ )

The Sitri Peerage entered the threshold and all sets of eyes were scanning the inside of the factory. This factory had been vacated of all equipment, which made visibility a non-issue for the Sitri group. They also extended their senses when it came to hearing, smelling and detecting traces of magic… something was off.

"Did it get cold in here…" Momo began.

"Or is it just me?" Tsubasa finished for her.

"No. It isn't just you. The temperature drop in this building is not normal." Sona confirmed with narrowed eyes.

That put the group on edge. They were all informed on the Stray Devil's powers, capabilities and what their specialty was. None of the information they had on hand said anything about the Stray Devil being an ice user. Plus, the AC and Heating units were uninstalled when the factory was shut down.

"That could only mean…" Ruruko trailed off hesitantly.

"We are definitely not alone here. Stay sharp." Tsubaki said grimly.

The group nodded and pressed on further into the warehouse. From the time of entry to present, it had only been a few minutes. But the feeling of anxiety was felt by the less experienced members of the peerage. And by less experienced it was mainly Saji.

"Why am I getting a total slasher vibe from this place?" Saji thought aloud with a nervous smile.

He received a nudge in his side courtesy of his fellow pawn.

"Relax~ Saji. It's just one pesky Stray Devil. But if you're not feeling man enough to fight you don't have to worry about a thing. We'll protect you."

Saji blushed a little while the rest of the peerage wore small smiles in amusement. Having one guy in the group proved to be so much fun. Sona and Tsubaki let the other members tease the poor boy on many occasions, only to reel them in when the teasing got out of hand.

"Naw it's okay. I'll fight. I'd rather not let my fellow peerage members do all the work you know." Saji waved off with a smile and a chuckle.

Ruruko stopped right in front of the young man before poking him in the chest.

"Are you saying that to save your pride or because we're girls and you doubt our skills?" Ruruko accused with puffed cheeks.

Saji panicked a moment and was blushing yet again. Sona and Tsubaki shared amused glances. The others were giggling at Saji's plight because he wouldn't win with any answer he posed to Ruruko's question.

"Well Saji? We're waiting!" Ruruko stated while tapping her foot.

"Oh… I… um… well you see…"

"Hang on… what's that?"

All eyes turned questioningly to Momo who was wide eyed and pointing at something ahead of them. Everyone followed her gaze and were quite shocked at what they found. Several meters ahead, encased in lavender colored ice was the Stray Devil they were after. Not long after the stray was found the group rushed forward to investigate. Saji stood by Ruruko with his arms crossed. Sona and Tsubaki decided to hang back and keep an eye on things.

Momo, Tsubasa, Tomoe and Reya investigated the corpse as best they could without getting to close. For some reason, the ice that encased the stray was not normal.

"I've got the chills you guys. And I'm pretty sure it isn't just the cold doing this." Momo remarked with a shiver.

"And I've got chills from looking at the ugly thing." Tomoe commented.

"But I think the question on all our minds is what or who could have done such a thing?" Reya inquired with a thoughtful posture.

Tsubasa glanced up for a moment before looking left and right…wait. Her eyes caught a figure on the walkaway that was several meters ahead and on the second level.

"Up there!"

The other seven members looked up and saw a shady figure in a long coat. They immediately went on guard, gauging just how much of a threat this man was.

Gray Fullbuster had to admit, he loved it when a plan came together. Hours prior, he and Gajeel traded ideas on how to tackle the stray before taking off towards the designated location for the mission. The Stray droned on about feasting on human flesh, how becoming a devil made him grotesque, missing out on sex, and so on. Gray ended the possible fight with a literal snap of his fingers, turning the Stray into an ice sculpture. The next phase of the plan consisted of lying in wait for the Sitri Peerage. For added effect of throwing Sona and her peerage off their game, Gray used his magic to chill the warehouse by freezing certain areas.

Now, Gray stood on the railings of the walkway, hands in his pockets. The Devil Slayer mark tingled on his arm, almost raring to get out and do some damage. Had he not gained proper balance with the mark, the darkness would have consumed him. But with help from the Amazons, Athena, Noctis, Luna, Anna and Irene Gray had nearly mastered Devil Slaying magic. But the techniques he uses would go untested unless facing a worth Devil who needed to be slain. He wasn't going to use it on his classmates and fellow students. The Stray was a nice field test if it were any consolation.

Sona started barking orders to her peerage members. Whatever plan she had in mind before was out the window. Saji was now teamed up with the sword user Tomoe, Ruruko, Reya and Momo. Tsubaki along with Tsubasa hung back with Sona. They all assumed Gray was their opponent.

They were wrong.

Without warning a metal pillar erupted from beneath the frozen stray before shattering the corpse into pieces. The entire Sitri Peerage jumped back and powered up their magic. Gray smirked beneath his hood.

A kunai raced from the darkness and buzzed right by Tsubaki's face. Her eyes widened as she felt something trickle down her cheek. Blood.

All eyes went to Tsubaki before the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the warehouse. The Sitri peerage looked into the darkness… and what they saw startled them.

With a green and black magical aura, striding forward with authority was Gajeel Redfox. His outfit was a slightly altered version of what Gray wore. Gajeel wore a faded black colored long coat with a hood, olive colored t-shirt, black studded, fingerless gloves, and beige cargo pants that had the legs tucked into steel toed, black combat boots.

Hoisted over Gajeel's shoulder by the handle was the Phantom Dragon Slayer's **Buster Sword**. Based on its size alone, the Sitri Peerage thought it would be detrimental to their opponent's speed. They were proven wrong a moment later.

Seems like they were wrong in the assumptions they made huh?

 **[Start: "Tension Rising"]**

Gajeel took the sword off his shoulders and let the blade just hang in his grip off to the side. Not one moment later he swiped the sword from side to side, creating a vicious backlash at the Sitri Peerage. The wind speed was so intense, the entire peerage had to cover their eyes, with the girls having to multitask in keeping their skirts down too.

"Was that an attack?!" Ruruko yelled.

"No! That was the force of his swing!" Tomoe answered loudly.

"What?!"

As soon as the wind settled down moments later, Gajeel sped forward in a blur and tackled Saji. The force Gajeel led with was so strong, Saji was sent back outside of the warehouse. Gajeel didn't waste any time in pursuing the boy.

"SAJI!" the girls exclaimed.

Gray jumped back onto the walkway before vanishing in a swirl of mist and ice. Sona and Tsubaki caught this and knew they missed an opportunity to try and capture the enemy. But that was the least of their worries. The least experienced member of the peerage was going up against an unknown whose power may pose a threat. They needed to provide aid or possibly lose Saji.

"We need to help Saji! Follow me!" Sona ordered.

"Right!"

 **Outside the Abandoned Factory**

Saji tumbled on the ground, skidding to a halt. Gajeel landed a few meters in front of him and planted his sword in the ground before cracking his knuckles. Saji slowly rose to his feet, bringing his hands up in a fighting stance.

"I don't know who you are, but you messed with the wrong devil pal!" Saji snarled.

Saji let out a battle cry as he rushed forward with his fist cocked back.

"Promotion: Rook!" He called out.

As Saji promoted, he felt a boost in his strength. In addition to promoting himself, **Absorption Line** was summoned in his non-punching hand (his left).

Saji leapt up in the air before bringing his right hand down on Gajeel's forearm. The punch produced a decent sized shockwave that rattled nearby light posts. Saji assumed that he would have at least stunned his opponent with the increase in strength. He was proven wrong and his eyes widened a moment later when he spotted a hint of metallic scales beneath the coat sleeve.

( _"Metal… scales? Just who on earth is this guy?"_ )

Before Saji could react, Gajeel punched him in the gut sending him across the way into a neighboring building. The pawn of Sitri felt the air leave his lungs and his defenses as a Rook barely held up. After leaving a dent on the building and falling several feet down, Saji slowly rose up.

( _"This guy… he has enough brute strength to get past my strength as a Rook. He isn't normal."_ )

Saji peered up a bit, trying to formulate a plan.

( _"I could use my wings to get an advantage. If I do that-"_ )

The blonde was cutoff when Gajeel grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the building… hard. The indention was so deep that Saji was stuck there. Then the punches came. Gajeel would pull his arm back before aiming for Saji's unprotected midsection. One of the rules for the mission was that no one would receive face shots. The school couldn't be questioning the next day why each girl in the Student Council had busted lips, swelling around their eyes or even a broken nose.

Punches started to rain in and at one point when one blow landed blood erupted from Saji's mouth. He felt a few ribs make room for another imprint of Gajeel's fist. And the Phantom Dragon Slayer wasn't even going all out. Before Gajeel could land another blow and possibly send Saji to dreamland, a magic blast impacted his back. He turned around and his impassive gaze met the angered expressions of the rest of the Sitri Peerage.

( _"Ice Princess wanted to see how well they do against one of us… time to find out."_ )

Gajeel grabbed Saji by the collar of his shirt before tossing him back to where the Sitri Peerage was. He was caught by Tsubasa and Momo, who immediately went to work administering First Aid. Ruruko glanced worriedly at Saji's fallen form, but a nod from Momo assured her that the lone guy of the group would be fine. Ruruko gave a hesitant nod before putting a furious gaze on her opponent.

"You're gonna pay for hurting Saji like that you jerk! Tomoe!"

"Right with ya girl!"

Sona sat back with Tsubaki and both were observing the situation. Things were not going well and Saji suffered because they weren't quick enough. This would not stand.

"Your orders President?" Reya inquired.

Sona looked around at her group, all eyes eagerly awaiting her word. She couldn't afford to hesitate here. Planning only got you so far in a battle.

"He may not have killed Saji but he is a threat. Take him down. Hard." Sona instructed icily.

"Yes ma'am!"

Gajeel cracked his neck and stalked forward, an excited grin beneath his hood. Ruruko unleashed a barrage of magical energy blasts in Gajeel's direction. The Dragon Slayer weaved in and out, dodging the girl's attempts at hitting him. He performed a backflip when one blast nearly reached him. Then the Dragon Slayer dashed right as the blasts increased in volume. This pattern continued for a few moments, frustrating Ruruko to no end.

"Hold still! I need to make you bleed you rotten bastard!" Ruruko cursed.

"I got him!" Tomoe shouted.

Ruruko stopped her barrage and let Tomoe take over the fight. Gajeel summoned a kunai and blocked a slash from Tomoe's katana. Insulted at the fact he was using a small weapon to defend himself, Tomoe put her sword skills to work and began slashing at any weak points Gajeel offered. Gajeel for his part switched between blocking the brunette's slashes, parrying them and dodging them. But he never fought back. That would be just too easy.

As the Dragon Slayer danced around his opponent, Ruruko found Reya by her side ready to support her. Sona and Tsubaki watched the fight but their minds went into overdrive on the contingencies they had in mind.

"Saji's injuries aren't life threatening but…" Tsubaki started.

"I know. This mission is practically a bust. We need to wrap this up." Sona finished.

Gajeel jumped back, dodging another slash. Frustrated, Tomoe growled before sheathing her sword. Her legs shifted before she vanished in a blur. To the normal observer it would appear Tomoe just up and disappeared. To the Sitri Peerage, Gajeel and the currently hidden Gray, Tomoe was moving at high speeds hoping to catch Gajeel off guard.

The Phantom Dragon Slayer narrowed his eyes and summoned another kunai in his free hand. Gajeel's beady eyes darted side to side, anticipating where his opponent was going to strike next.

His nose and magic sensory picked up rapid movement to the left… then to the right.

( _"I think I'll toy with her a bit. Time to use my scales and see where this goes."_ )

Gajeel made sure to block some slash attempts at his person but left his back open to slashes, which bounced right off thanks to his Dragon Scales. After several moments of this, Gajeel could easily tell that Tomoe's frustration was building based on how sloppy her moves were getting as time went on.

Sona and Tsubaki sensed Tomoe's frustration a mile away and couldn't afford for another peerage member to get hurt.

"Pull back Tomoe! You've done enough!" Sona commanded.

Tomoe huffed angrily before rushing back over to her group, now lining up shoulder to shoulder with Ruruko and Reya. Sona strode to the front of the group, a cold fury rolling off of her.

"You've fought well against three of my peerage members. You and your partner are quite formidable." She stated.

Sona brought both of her hands to her side, a magic symbol forming. Gajeel's eyes widened a bit as he recognized what she was about to do. He recalled his Buster Sword, surprising the Sitri Peerage with the exception of the King and Queen.

( _"She uses Water Magic like Juvia. Fullbuster better get his ass down here or I'm going to rust from whatever that Sitri chick throws at me."_ )

"This ends now."

Sona's hands shot forward, producing one of the Sitri girl's stronger spells, **Water Serpent**. The serpentine construct rushed forward, eagerly waiting for a chance to blast Gajeel and possibly injure him. What Sona didn't factor was the fact Gray would intervene. The Devil Slayer threw a Royal Arm in front of Gajeel, warping to his location from the top of the Abandoned Factory.

Sona paid no attention to this but something clicked in her head as her attack neared the two mages.

( _"Wait a minute! If the man who beat Saji uses some sort of metal magic… then his partner… oh no…"_ )

Gray stood with his hands in his pockets. A couple of seconds later, Gray's right arm came up and swiped to the right side. A chain reaction occurred, as Sona's attack veered right and immediately started to freeze as a result of Gray's actions.

The entire Sitri Peerage sans Saji was stunned. Sona simply gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. She had gotten careless and didn't factor in the ice user when she proceeded to attack. Tsubaki realized Sona's small slip up and was going to talk to her King about it when all was said and done. She couldn't allow her friend to beat herself up over a minor detail.

 **[End Playback]**

Gray used the lull in the action to call it a night. He looked over to Gajeel, who had dismissed his Buster Sword.

"I think we should call it a night." Gray suggested with a shrug.

"Sure. Fight was getting boring anyways." Gajeel replied.

"If you can call what you just did a fight."

Gajeel just grunted before summoning a portal. He and Gray walked through, portal dissipating after. This left the Sitri Peerage at the scene to stew in their defeat. The two Slayers had managed to throw Sona and her peerage off their game for one night, scoring a small victory.

Saji suffered a humiliating loss, his promotion falling victim to the fact he was up against Gajeel. The Devil side wasn't what got Saji in the end though. Since Saji's Sacred Gear was dragon based, his fate was ultimately sealed. Gajeel had levied several hard punches to Saji's ribs, kidneys and intestines leaving the lone male of the Sitri peerage with broken ribs and internal bleeding. Saji got these injuries due to the fact Gajeel used Dragon Slayer magic in his punches.

Sona now had a clue who she was dealing with and her mind was telling her that this wasn't going to be the end of it.

"Tsubaki… get us out of here please."

"Yes, President."

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

 **Interrogation Room**

A pretty, raven haired woman groggily woke up in a dark room.

"Uuhhh… where am I?" she said, eyes adjusting to the dark.

Without warning a single light clicked on and blinded her for a moment. In the midst of her vision trying to return the woman heard the opening of a door and then footsteps.

"Ah, good. You're awake."

This startled the woman. She was eagerly waiting for her vision to return so she could get some information. And once she got what she wanted she would kill her captors without mercy before contacting her team.

A few seconds pass by and after blinking a few times her eyes were finally able to see just who captured her. Then her face took an expression of disbelief.

Sitting across from her was Kuoh Academy's principal dressed in a witch's garb. And right behind the principal…

"You?!" the woman snarled.

… was Natsu Dragneel in the same outfit the woman last saw him in. Only this time he made a minor adjustment to the uniform by adding a golden sash around his waist. He stood there with his arms crossed, confident grin present under the hood.

"Yes. Him." Irene repeated with a smirk.

"What is the meaning of this?! Do you know who I-"

As the woman tried to stand up, her arms felt weighed down by something. It had been roughly over a day since she had been awake and the last thing she remembered…

( _"That's right! I killed that boy and was about to escape when… when…"_ )

The woman, who previously used the alias Yuuma Amano, came to another horrifying realization that her identity had been compromised. She peered down and all blood drained from her face. Her hands were encased in some kind of marked metal that were acting as handcuffs. But that wasn't the worst part.

The female Fallen took the time to appraise her body and she realized she was in her normal outfit which consisted of black, leather objects around and under her breasts, a thong-like piece held by three thin straps, gloves that ran up her arms with small chains hanging from them, shoulder guards with three large spikes on the right one and black thigh-high heel boots.

Gone was Yuuma Amano and here was…

"Raynare. A Fallen Angel and a member of the Grigori. Track record shows you've been busy these last few centuries. You've been assigned missions going all the way back to the Italian Renaissance. Your file states that you've accomplished your given tasks with 95% efficiency and achieved a mission success rate of 93%, which is quite impressive." Irene started.

The now named Raynare, sat down slowly, visibly shocked at the fact Irene somehow knew about her. She stared wide-eyed, trying to not let her nerves get the best of her.

"You're well known for seduction missions. You use your sex appeal on men and women from as young as 16 to as old as 65. Honestly, I don't know how you could stomach being with old men but that's your business."

Raynare's jaw dropped a bit and her head titled down. Irene had a feeling her cage was rattled and she wouldn't stop now.

"Now though, you're hoping to get the proper notice you deserve as a member of the Grigori. Recently you've grown frustrated with leadership and had the desire to get recognition from the leader of the Grigori…"

"Master Azazel." Raynare whispered.

"Correct."

Irene summoned a large file and placed it on the table. Raynare looked up and eyed the file before looking at Irene and Natsu.

"I'm going to be honest with you Raynare, your options aren't looking all that good." Irene said with a shake of her head.

"What do you mean by that?" Raynare shakily asked.

Irene chuckled and opened up the file up. From what Raynare could see there were several photos of individuals she didn't recognize and there were some that she did.

"You were never meant to murder that boy."

Raynare's eyes snapped up and met Irene's cold stare. Trying to muster some courage she smirked before leaning away.

"And what's it to you? Last time I checked what I do is my business." She said in a smug fashion.

Irene hummed and raised an eyebrow at that.

"If you want information you'll get nothing out of me. The only thing you two filthy humans need to know is that I succeeded in my mission. And there's nothing you can do to stop my comrades from carrying out their orders." She finished triumphantly.

Irene simply stared at the Fallen for a few moments and then began to chuckle. Her chuckle then turned into laughter which infuriated Raynare.

"What's so funny?!" She snapped.

Irene calmed down a moment before she started to let off a bit of her magic. Raynare started to get a bit nervous.

"My dear… what honestly makes you think that either of us are human?" Irene asked with an evil glint in her eye.

"I'm technically a hybrid so don't I count as human still?" Natsu asked with a raised hand.

Irene ignored the son of Igneel and continued.

"In addition to that, I have connections that can easily find out what your mission in Kuoh was. Because knowing Azazel, the fool probably sent you in here with limited intelligence as to whose territory you were walking into."

Raynare slammed her cuffed hands on the table.

"Don't you dare insult Master Azazel! He's-"

The Fallen Angel was cut off and gasped as she felt a higher amount of magic slam down on her. Her pupils shrank as she started shaking uncontrollably.

"Little girl… in the confines of this space you will not raise your voice at me again." Irene warned icily.

Raynare couldn't even respond. She just sat there, staring frightfully at a being that could rival some of the strongest people she knew with ease. Just who was Irene Belserion in reality? Her aura was not normal.

"Azazel is nothing more than a fool and a slimey pig. Yes, his research and experiments into the Sacred Gear system has proven quite fruitful in terms of being a side project. The findings from his research have been beneficial in understanding the Sacred Gears and the Sacred Gear system. However, that man is still as foolish as they come. His organization is not where it needs to be when it comes to operating efficiently. You are a prime example of that."

"W-What do you mean?" Raynare stuttered.

Irene's smirk widened. That, combined with the look in her eyes made a pit form in Raynare's stomach that the Fallen did not like.

"Isn't it obvious my dear Raynare? One of the Grigori tampered with your mission and was very close to sending you to your death." Irene informed her.

Raynare was again stunned. She never thought too much about it when her mission was suddenly changed from observation to assassination. It wasn't the first time that orders from a superior had been changed in order to accomplish a specific goal. But she had never thought someone would tamper her orders enough to warrant significant risk.

"No. You're wrong. All missions carry a risk in our organization and my mission succeeded with ending the threat. Plus what you're suggesting is someone willingly acted outside their orders and betrayed Master Azazel. A traitor in our ranks? That's just preposterous." Raynare denied with a scowl.

"Hyoudou never even knew about his Sacred Gear or the supernatural in the first place. On what grounds was he a threat other than what was deemed by your superiors?" Irene countered.

Raynare continued to glare at Irene defiantly.

"In addition to that, you're clearly not seeing the bigger picture here. I told you before, a member of the Grigori tampered with your orders. They have to have enough influence and resources to do so. So use that little brain of yours and think: 'Who would want to break away from the Grigori and why'?"

Raynare looked down for a moment, actually taking the time to think on Irene's words. She was a foot soldier in an organization she had served loyally. But Irene was right about Raynare's growing ambition. The seductive vixen was ecstatic about receiving a mission from Azazel himself. He was her idol and someone she wanted to please with all her being. Sure he was a bit of a sleaze but who wasn't? Fallen Angels were meant to be sinful so calling him a pig or a sleaze was more of a compliment.

But who would interfere with his orders? And who had the time and resources to do so? Raynare had been very attentive to the rumor mill in the organization. For the last few years, she's heard of dissention and a possible rebellious element within the Grigori allied to…

Suddenly Raynare's eyes widened in realization. She looked at Irene who was still smirking in a way that just infuriated the Fallen. But she had every right to smirk. That lady knew things.

"No… Him?" Raynare murmured.

Irene hummed and nodded to confirm Raynare's suspicions.

"But… why?"

"And to what end? It's quite obvious really."

Irene took on a thoughtful posture before correcting herself.

"Actually his intentions here in Kuoh are twofold. However, the second half of his intentions is connected to an ongoing investigation that impacts not just your race but the Devils and Angels as well."

Raynare frowned deeply at this. Given what Irene knew already she had to tread carefully and not reveal too much. But, she couldn't help but be curious as to why Irene and whoever she was working with or for was doing the things they were doing.

"What do the Devils and Angels have to do with this?" Raynare asked.

Irene looked at Raynare a few moments before removing a few items from the folder. Each of the items were photos, showing people and locations along with important dates.

"Over the past few months, the church has been dealing with a few isolated incidents that resulted in several nuns being excommunicated for crimes against the congregation and violating the rules set forth by Heaven."

Raynare eyed a particular photo intently. It was a person in a cloak meeting with an agent of the Grigori or possibly a random Fallen Angel.

"In reality though, the incidents are not isolated. Over the course of as long as 20 years or so, 14 nuns have been have been excommunicated from the Church for the same crime. 13 of those nuns have disappeared without a trace merely days after their sentence. Coincidence? I think not."

Raynare, luckily was following along so far. But this case intrigued here. Sure it was a risky move to even know details about something like this but she had a feeling Irene was leaving out key details.

"I see. But what does this have to do with my mission and the possibility of a Cadre being a traitor?"

"The first half of said Cadre's intentions. He wants to start a war." Irene answered without hesitation.

Raynare looked taken aback. She knew that the legendary warrior and warmonger of the Grigori had a vicious streak in him. But to start a war by using her? It didn't seem possible.

"That's not possible. Last time I checked, killing some no named pervert who happened to have a Sacred Gear didn't start wars." Raynare countered.

"But killing said pervert in the territory of two Devil Heiresses poses the risk of war." Irene calmly retorted.

Then silence.

Raynare's blood froze at those words. She hadn't taken into account who attended the school Issei was enrolled in and she had no information as to whose territory she would be visiting. She had heard about Kuoh Town and Kuoh Academy. She knew of the town's great history and the history shared with one of the primer schools in the world. But when she thought about her mission and the details on where she would be operating…

( _"No. No! She has to be lying! Devils aren't even supposed to be in Kuoh, let alone Japan!"_ )

"You're wrong! There aren't any devils in Kuoh! If they are then they are likely Strays that need exterminating!" Raynare yelled in defiance.

Irene's smirk disappeared and her face took on a neutral look. She closed her eyes and tilted her head forward so Raynare could not see half of her face.

"The sister of Serafall Leviathan, Sona Sitri. Student Council President and a Third Year student."

Raynare paled and her jaw dropped. She wanted to yell some more but there was something holding her back. Either Irene was telling a good lie or…

"And the sister of the current King of the Devils Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias Gremory. A Third Year student like Miss Sitri and the President of the Occult Research Club."

Raynare started shaking again. Now she was really afraid. Here she was at the mercy of an unknown adversary who could easily sell her up shit creek without the paddle, hell maybe without the boat too. If what Irene said was true…

( _"That bastard set me up… I can't believe it. A Cadre set me up and used my ambition against me. And if that's true…"_ )

"You can keep trying to deny the truth all you want Raynare but it won't help your situation. As it stands right now, you have not only killed in the territory of two young Devils but you are operating under false orders. Both are punishable by death and if it were up to me I would have ripped the information from your mind and threw you to the wolves long after I even considered being done with you." Irene coldly told her.

It was that statement at which Raynare began to panic. Sure she had done some bad things but did she honestly deserve to die? She just wanted to get ahead in life and have fun with little consequence. Plus, dying to a Devil or even a human was too much of a humiliation to bear.

"W-Wait a minute! I'll tell you everything! Just don't turn me in to the Devils!" Raynare pleaded.

Irene harnessed her persona as the Scarlet Despair and slowly stood up from her seat. She walked over to the side of the table close to Raynare. Without warning she raised her hand and slapped Raynare hard across the cheek. The raven haired Fallen yelped in pain and as a result of the slap, the chair beneath her fell over. Since her cuffs were chained to the table, she couldn't go anywhere. Slowly, she looked up at Irene, honestly fearing for her life once she saw the woman's eyes again.

( _"Oh no… this woman is not human! She's…!"_ )

Irene grabbed the Fallen by her hair, making the woman yelp in pain again. Natsu knew what Irene was doing but was ready to step in at a moment's notice. He didn't want any unnecessary bloodshed tonight.

"Listen here you narrow minded fool. If there's one thing I won't tolerate is some damn whore with wings begging for her life when she would have granted no one mercy. I know this because had you taken one good look at Issei Hyoudou after you left him for dead, you would have hesitated. And do you want to know why?"

Raynare didn't respond which pleased Irene because she wasn't finished.

"He cried. That perverted, teenage monkey may have been a deviant but I saw enough good in him to know he wasn't all bad. He cared about his friends, tried his best in school and more importantly had two loving parents who treasured him. And do you know why that is?"

Raynare shook her head, or as best she could since Irene had such a harsh grip on her hair.

"He's an only child. Their only child. The Hyoudou's had trouble conceiving at one point and even suffered a miscarriage. He was their hope and dreams, something of which every parent wants for their children. Yes he fell short being a pervert but he still had a good heart."

Raynare tried to avoid eye contact but Irene yanked harder and a glare of cold fury just intensified. Raynare couldn't even fight back. She just sat back and took it. Natsu for his part kept his cool. He felt bad for Raynare. Sure she was good at being an assassin, something which he frowned upon back on Earth Land. And of course he never liked killing at all, even in a fight. But coming to this world, hearing out Igneel, END and Ares… he had to reevaluate everything. Right now, Raynare was a victim of betrayal and her own selfish ambition. And worst of all she had no one to help pick up the pieces once Irene was done breaking her world down.

"Then you came along. You buttered him up, gave the boy hope and for the first time in his life he was about to have a girlfriend after just one date."

Irene's eyes glowed and Raynare was doing her best to jerk herself out of Irene's grip.

"You killed Issei Hyoudou under false orders and ambition. No closure to his friends. No closure to his classmates. And no closure to his family. You left him to rot like a wounded dog on a dirt road. He never even had a chance to defend himself or fight back. So if he didn't chance to plead for his life, you don't either you used up slut." Irene finished.

Irene let out her magic as the claw-like extensions in her gloves dug into Raynare's scalp. The Fallen started to scream as blood trickled down her head and tears streamed down her eyes. Now she had hit a low point. She never had remorse for her victims. She was only doing a job. If a job ever became personal, she would let the person know before and after killing them. But she always made sure to maintain professionalism in her work.

She had done the same with Issei Hyoudou but didn't realize the consequences of her actions. She was doomed because a warmonger had somehow intercepted her original orders, altered them and then played to her ambition. Not only had he doomed her but he had doomed her team, a team which consisted of her two best friends and two guys looking to get into her pants.

"No… Noooo…" Raynare whimpered.

"Irene that's enough." Natsu spoke up, uncrossing his arms.

Irene narrowed her eyes and Raynare screamed more. Raynare thought about her best friends… and the thought of them getting hurt or dying made her stomach drop.

"Irene, stop." Natsu said a bit more forcefully.

Raynare then started to sob as Irene applied more pressure. Natsu's nose picked up the scent of urine and he bared his teeth. Irene took it too far and he needed to end this.

One moment, Irene had been slowly torturing Raynare, hoping to show the Fallen true despair. The next moment, Raynare was quietly sobbing with her head on the table and Irene's arm being held by a slightly enraged Natsu. The Dragon Queen's eyes went back to normal but the fierceness from before still stayed. Now those same eyes targeted the son of Igneel, who held her gaze without hesitation.

"What are you doing Natsu?" Irene slowly grounded out.

"Keeping you from making a mistake. You've done enough." Natsu replied.

Irene and Natsu gazed at each other a few more moments, with the only sound in the room being the sniffles of the humiliated Fallen Angel. Irene clicked her tongue before snatching her arm back and walking towards the door.

"She's your responsibility now. I have what I need." She informed.

Natsu stared at Irene's back before glancing over to Raynare's sobbing form still hunched over the table. He walked over but after a few steps, Irene called out to him.

"Since you'll be on guard duty, you'll be excused from school for the time being. Have fun Dragneel." Irene said coolly.

Natsu winced a little at that. From what he could tell with Irene, her tone of voice signaled that she was probably pissed. But he didn't care. He wasn't going to allow Raynare to be tortured to an extreme degree or executed in cold blood. And he damn sure wasn't going to allow Irene to make a mistake.

He sighed and made his way over to the table and yanked the chain off the table breaking it. Raynare just crumpled to the floor, face covered in blood and tears while her legs were in the puddle of her own urine. Irene had hurt and scared her enough to make her piss herself and that's one of the worst humiliations one could do.

( _"Irene got inside her head. Probably used strong illusion magic if the reaction is anything to go by."_ )

Natsu walked over closer to Raynare and knelt by her head. He used his left hand to tuck some hair behind her ear while summoning **Healing Fire** in his right. Healing Fire was a healing spell combined with the fire part of Natsu's magic. He, Igneel and END were able to work out the kinks in training so Natsu didn't burn anyone by accident while healing injuries.

The bright green flame was brought close to Raynare's head, hovering only inches from her scalp. Within moments, the pain and the blood went away, like it was never there in the first place. The green flame quickly vanished and Raynare felt herself being picked up. She tensed up a bit… only to calm down when she felt a comforting heat seep into her. Natsu carried her bridal style out of the interrogation room.

"Come on, Ray-Ray let's get you some new clothes and get you into bed." He said to her.

The Fallen could only meekly nod while curling up a bit in the hybrid's arms. Natsu sighed again and couldn't help but the thought that crossed his mind as he walked down the hallway.

( _"At least I don't have school tomorrow…"_ )

* * *

 **…**

 **…**

 **Kuoh Town**

 **The Estate**

 **Irene's Study**

 **Nighttime**

The Estate was the Slayers temporary home on Earth. It was named as such due to the large amount of land and resources allotted so the Slayers could have everything they needed. Irene, Anna and the Exceeds also benefited from this deal.

The Estate was built with many special rooms not only to aid the Earth Land group in their missions but to also provide relief in their downtime. One such room was Irene's study.

Irene's study had a similar layout to the Principal's office back at the Academy… only differences were that the room was much bigger and was made a tech free zone. Sure the Wi-Fi could still connect to the room so when Irene needed to access her laptop for things like work or research. But other than that, the only things she needed were the lamps, the fireplace, the comfy chairs and sofas and most of all… books. Lots and lots of books.

The books in Irene's study covered all the 'important' subjects of both Earth Land and Earth. If she needed to make a reference when helping the Slayers with their homework, she could pick a book from a shelf no problem. If the Slayers needed to improve their magic in certain areas, there was a book to help with the process. Point was if there was a situation that needed a book, just come to Irene's study.

"What the hell was that back there?"

Now however, Irene was at her desk, still not out of her witch's garb just yet. Files and pictures littered the surface, all having significance to the different cases the group was involved in. Irene's focus was more on what was on the desk than the person she had a growing bond with. Said person was in a tank top, pink pajama pants and light blue slippers.

"An interrogation."

Anna now had both hands on the desk, directly across from Irene. The Dragon Queen looked up at Anna with an inquisitive brow.

"If you're hoping I apologize to the girl don't bother. The way I see it, things would have been easier had she cooperated from the start. But I got the information I need." Irene said in a calm tone.

Anna narrowed her eyes and her fists clinched tight on the desk surface.

"Even so, given her nightmares is hardly something that was warranted. The insults you gave her I could handle. But physical and mental torture is where I draw the line." Anna stated angrily.

"Oh is that right?" Irene retorted.

They stared at each other for several moments. The tension was thick in the once serene air of the study.

Anna had been in the next door observation room watching the attempted interrogation go down. She watched as Irene started laying everything out from Raynare's mistakes to details on the investigation. At one point Anna figured Irene would press for information and that would be the end of it. She got the complete opposite.

( _"I guess it was too much to ask for wasn't it?"_ ) the blonde thought with growing disappointment.

Anna had heard much about the Alvarez Empire and their activities, even while staying in Fiore. She was also privy to information on Irene's exploits as 'The Scarlet Despair'. But Anna had figured after meeting Irene once or twice, the woman would do her best to leave that persona behind and change anew. Anna had an idea that Irene had gone through enough things in her life to deserve better. After several months of talking and catching up since they first met, Anna hoped Irene would leave the darkest part of her behind. But now? Now she didn't know what to think.

"At least you didn't kill her." Anna admitted.

The blonde sighed before taking her hands off the desk and crossing her arms beneath her bust. Irene eyed Anna's bust very closely and did her best not to stare.

"So… what did you find out when you dove into her mind?" Anna asked.

Irene snapped to attention and started gesturing to some of the photos on her desk.

"Everything. Her team's base is located at the abandoned church. There are three more Fallen Angels and one very skilled Stray Exorcist that make up the primary team."

"Primary team?"

Irene nodded before pulling out a diagram and several photos.

"The secondary team consists of lieutenants. Those lieutenants answer to Raynare's team while also being in charge of a large group of grunts." Irene answered.

Anna closed her eyes and nodded. She, like Irene, reasoned that Raynare would need a small army to carry out her task without fail. But that would warrant the risk of discovery if that were the case.

"If she and her comrades are hosting a small army, how big are we talking?" Anna queried.

"From what I saw, there are almost 100 Stray Exorcists. All of them are armed with bladed weapons and blunt objects. The only one who uses any guns in the Stray Exorcist that works closely with the Fallen." Irene replied.

"I see."

Irene pulled out another photo, along with some notes.

"There's more. According to what I saw, Raynare's team stole a machine from Azazel's little R&D department. And from what I was able to gather from my contacts…" the redhead trailed.

Anna frowned before taking the notes in her hands and shuffling through them. A passage on one of the pages caught her eye and she couldn't help but recoil in shock.

"This thing has the ability to steal Sacred Gears?!" Anna shouted out incredulously.

"Correct."

Anna read through again. According to the notes, a ritual was needed to be done in order to 'extract' the Sacred Gear from the host. The process itself was untested but that's not what angered the light mage. What angered her was the concept of stealing someone's Sacred Gear. 'Extracting' a Sacred Gear was just the safest way of saying 'Your Sacred Gear is mine!'.

"If someone's Sacred Gear is forcefully extracted…"

"Then the host dies." Irene finished for her.

Anna adopted a determined expression and set the papers back on the desk.

"Issei wasn't the intended target. I assume their target is connected the other case?"

Irene smirked and gave a nod confirming the obvious.

"Yes she is. And she will be here the day after tomorrow."

Anna nodded before taking her leave and walking towards the door. She knew things were going to pick up real soon. Although she played a role behind the scenes, she was still busy as ever. She was going to get some rest, maintain her cover at the Academy and then worry about the rest when she had the time.

"Then I'll leave you to it. I'll be retiring for the night." Anna said.

Irene frowned at Anna's tone. As the blonde exited the study, Irene slowly sat down in her chair before re-quipping into her sleeping gown. She groaned at the fact she had angered the former Celestial Mage.

The former Queen of Dragnof could very well admit a growing interest in the former Celestial mage. Was it her background in magic? Was it her family legacy? Or was it just the personality and spirit that just made Irene felt so drawn to her?

They had done their best in catching up with little time these last few months. Things had been steadily going well between the two women. But Irene may have scared her a bit with the display from earlier. Or worse, she made Anna disgusted with her.

( _"I needed to be ruthless with Raynare. I had no other choice. I played my cards in a way that could help her spill the answers to me. I just took the path less traveled because I'm the only one with the stomach for it."_ )

Irene sighed and picked up a photo. In the photo was a blonde girl, couldn't be older than 16 or 17 years old and wore a nun's outfit. The girl's eyes showed so much light and life that it gave Irene pause. There was so much innocence in this life that she couldn't help but feel the need to come to her aid. Hopefully though a major tragedy could be averted with the right planning.

Irene held the photo up and thumbed unconsciously. The light from the room and the glow of the night seemed to radiate around her.

"What will your fate be Asia Argento?"

What is the fate of one so selfless?

What is the fate of such a beautiful soul?

The next few days would decide her fate...

* * *

 **Que Ending**

" **Kaze wa Mirai ni Fuku"**

* * *

 **A/N: There we go!**

 **[1] – After Dark by Asian Kung-Fu Generation featured in Bleach**

 **[2] -** **Kaze wa Mirai ni Fuku by Akima & Neos featured in Trigun**

 **[3] – Tension Rising featured in Kingdom Hearts II/ Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix**

 ***Note: If you can find a looped version of Tension Rising to listen to, that would be preferred.**

 **It was hell writing this chapter but I did it. There is the strong possiblity of coming back for more revisions but as it sits, I'm satisfied with the end product.**

 **For today's lesson we have Sacred Gears.**

 **Biblical God created Sacred Gears as part of his system to enact miracles on Earth. Not only that, Sacred Gears were created to give humanity a defense tool against the powers that be in the Supernatural world. Over the course of history, some of the most influential men and women have been Sacred Gear users. Some of these individuals operated in the shadows while others operated in broad daylight. The Sacred Gears themselves are divided into three categories as listed.**

 **Longinus – The Longinus type Sacred Gears are top tier and extremely powerful. These types of Sacred Gears are sometimes known for having multiple abilities as well as being capable of slaying actual gods. The class itself was named after the first known Sacred Gear to achieve the form known as Balance Breaker.**

 **Artificial – A category reserved for Sacred Gears that are manmade or artificially created. How the process is done is known only to Azazel of the Grigori. In fact, Azazel is in the process of making Sacred Gears for his own use.**

 **Common/Other – Nothing special here. Any Sacred Gear with a single ability not suitable for combat situations goes here. Also, any Sacred Gear that doesn't meet the mark when it comes to being compared to Longinus class also goes here.**

 **Bonus lesson!**

 **Vritra, better known as the Prison Dragon has multiple Sacred Gears due to his soul being split following a defeat that occurred long before the canon timeline. One of Vritra's Sacred Gears is now owned by Sitri Peerage member Genshirou Saji.**

 **Confirmed pairing: Yuuto Kiba and Kiyome Abe.**

 **Why pair those two?**

 **I felt like it for one. Second, hints in the chapter plus what I know about some of the characters is why I did what I did. Also it works out in a way given Tennis and Swordplay correlate somewhat.**

 **Kiba also has a bit of a secret ability that's tied to his emotions and soul as well as his Sacred Gear. What that ability is will be revealed in a different arc. Can't give too much away.**

 **Harem Reveal for Rogue: Murayama and Katase, ?, ?, ?, ?**

 **He said he wanted to work on his sword play. Kendo Club is his best chance. Plus he could actually teach the girls a few things given he's been learning a few years' worth of sword training in only a few months. (The learning curve of Dragon Slayers)**

 **That said, Murayama and Katase won't be Rogue's mates but it will work out on a level of Friends with Benefits type deal. How that happens will be revealed in the story.**

 **There are four more members of Rogue's harem to be revealed.**

 **Coming later in this arc are Harem reveals for Natsu, Gray and Issei.**

 **Observation… they really downgraded Dohnaseek's appearance when going from manga to anime. He was more sinister looking in the manga when I read volume/issue #1.**

 **What to look forward to next chapter? The focus shifts a little in terms of who the spotlight will be on. Next we see Natsu is on guard duty which gets him a day out of school. And we all know he'll be happy about that. There's a good chance a certain nun will be making her debut next chapter.**

 **Sneak peek though… remember the Stray Devil Viser? Let's just say her fate gets a tad bit altered. In addition to that, one of the Slayers gets to face off against the Gremory Peerage in Viser's place. Speculation as to who? I'll let you guess.**

 **I would also like to add that I will be on an extended leave of absence after the 14** **th** **of this month. So, mark your calendars for Spring/Summer of 2020 because it will be around that time that I will be back.**

 **You guys are awesome and thank you for the continued support of the story.**

 **Review section is open for comments, remarks, opinions and/or all of the above.**

 **Until next time!**


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